Queen Of Soul

Aretha Franklin performing in Chicago on May 17, 2011. Known as the "Queen of Soul,"

Singers Aretha Franklin, left, and Bebe Winans perform onstage during the 50th annual Grammy awards held at the Staples Center on Feb. 10, 2008, in Los Angeles.

Aretha Franklin performs during the inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009.

Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect — Frank Micelotta

Aretha Franklin onstage performing at "VH1 Divas Live: The One and Only Aretha Franklin," held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Tuesday, April 10, 2001.

Aretha Franklin's "A Woman Falling Out of Love," her 38th studio album.

Aretha Franklin and her escort William Wilkerson arrive at the U.S. State Dept. in Washington, D.C., to attend a dinner hosted by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for this year's Kennedy Center honorees on Dec. 2, 2006.

Franklin performs at the inaugural gala for U.S. President Bill Clinton in Washington, D.C., Jan. 19, 1993.

Aretha Franklin performs with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Mann Center for Performing Arts on July 27, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pa.

Aretha Franklin, c. 1965. One of her Columbia albums - "Yeah!! In Person With Her Quartet" - was marketed as a live performance but was actually a studio session with ambient sounds and applause added in the mix.

Singer Aretha Franklin is shown at a news conference, March 26, 1973. The daughter of a Baptist preacher famous for his fiery sermons, she was born in Memphis, Tenn., on March 25, 1942.

Franklin poses with her Grammy Award at the 17th Annual Grammy Awards presentation in New York, March 3, 1975. The award was for her performance of "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing." Franklin had won every Grammy Award for "Best Rhythm and Blues Performance, Female" since the category was created in 1967. After the 1974 win, she took the award again in 1981, 1985 and 1988.

Aretha Franklin, John Hammond — Don Hunstein/Sony Archives

Aretha Franklin with record producer John Hammond

Franklin performs during the 47th Annual Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, Calif., April 8, 1975. Her hits include her signature song, "Respect," as well as "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and "Chain of Fools."

Kirk Douglas applauds singer Aretha Franklin at a reception for the Kennedy Center Honors on Dec. 4, 1994, at the White House in Washington D.C. Person at left is unidentified.

President Bill Clinton, along with First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, presents singer Aretha Franklin with the 1999 National Medal of Arts and Humanities Award Sept. 29, 1999, at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.