Aretha Franklin, the preacher's daughter whose powerful voice made her the long-reigning "Queen of Soul" with such hit songs as "Respect" and "Chain of Fools," died Thursday at the age of 76 . Franklin, who won 18 Grammys and had some 25 gold records, died at her Detroit home surrounded by family and loved ones, according to her publicist.
In 2010 Rolling Stone magazine named her the No. 1 singer of the rock era.
After recording and touring as a young gospel singer, Franklin's career took a secular turn in 1961 when she signed with Columbia Records.
Along the way Franklin inspired a generation of singers.
In 2008 Beyonce introduced Tina Turner as "the queen" at the Grammy Awards ceremony, which Franklin decried as "a cheap shot" at her.
She started touring as part of her father's gospel show as a teenager and got a musical education from gospel greats of the time – the Staple Singers, the Soul Stirrers, James Cleveland and The Mighty Clouds of Joy.
She also came to know jazz and R&B greats invited to the family home – Cooke, Art Tatum, Dinah Washington, Fats Domino and Bobby Bland.
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