Music Aretha Franklin's life in photos Look back on the life and career of the Queen of Soul, who died Thursday at the age of 76 By EW Staff Published on August 16, 2018 10:13AM EDT Close Aretha Franklin, 1942-2018 Hulton Archive/Getty Images Aretha Frankin, who died Aug. 16, 2018, at the age of 76, was just 18 years old in 1960 (pictured) when she set out to become a professional singer. What followed was an unparalleled and legendary career that saw her crowned the Queen of Soul. Ahead, see photos from her time as one of the greatest voices ever. 1965 Gilles Petard/Redferns Born March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tenn., Franklin was the middle daughter of Barbara Siggers, a gospel singer who died when Aretha was only 9, and C.L. Franklin, a traveling preacher who settled down to become the socially progressive minister of Detroit’s New Bethel Baptist Church. Circa 1965 Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Though Franklin started out singing gospel music as a child, she began recording more pop music in 1964 and had a top 10 song on the R&B chart with "Runnin' Out of Fools" in 1965. November 1966 PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images On Nov. 21, 1966, Franklin (pictured with record producer Jerry Wexler and then-husband and manager Ted White) signed with Atlantic Records. Mid-1960s Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images Aretha must have known she was on her way to becoming the Queen of Soul. 1968 Roger Bamber/ANL/REX/Shutterstock Franklin married her first husband, Ted White, in 1961 at age 19. They had one son, Ted White Jr., and divorced in 1969, following reports of domestic abuse. June 1968 Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage Franklin performed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Benefit at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 28, 1968. Other musical acts included the Rascals, Sam & Dave, Joe Tex, Sonny & Cher, and King Curtis & The Kingpins. May 1969 Fred A. Sabine/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images On May 4, 1969, Franklin was a guest on The Andy Williams Show. 1970 Tim Boxer/Getty Images Franklin posed backstage after winning a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance of "Share Your Love With Me." 1971 Anthony Barboza/Getty Images Aretha looked serious while posing with her father, Baptist preacher C.L. Franklin, and younger sister Carolyn. Circa 1973 Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images During the first half of the '70s, Franklin took home six Grammy Awards, just a fraction of her 18 career wins, and 44 total nominations. April 11, 1978 Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images The cameras caught Franklin sharing a kiss at her wedding to actor Glynn Turman, as her youngest son Kecalf Cunningham looked on. The lovebirds married at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit. Circa 1979 with then-husband Glynn Turman and her son Kecalf Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images After Franklin left California and returned to Detroit to take care of her father, she and Turman separated and eventually divorced in 1984. 1980 Harry Langdon/Getty Images In 1980, Franklin parted ways with Atlantic Records and signed with Clive Davis' Arista Records. 1980 Universal/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock She also made a memorable appearance as a waitress in the The Blues Brothers with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. 1980 Harry Langdon/Getty Images Aretha, her first Arista album and 29th studio ablum, featured the R&B hit "Unitied Together" as well as a Grammy-nominated cover of Otis Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose." April 1985 Paul Natkin/Getty Images Franklin entertained the crowd at the NBA All-Star Game celebration in Chicago on April 18, 1985. January 1987 Joe Kennedy/AP/REX/Shutterstock The Queen of Soul teamed up with the King of Soul (a.k.a. James Brown) for an HBO special taped in Detroit on Jan. 11, 1987. That same year, she was the first female performer to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. May 1989 Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Producer-arranger Narada Michael Walden, Franklin, and Whitney Houston recorded "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Gonna Be Me" in 1989 in Detroit. September 14, 1991 Waring Abbott/Getty Images Franklin shared a laugh backstage with Oprah Winfrey at Radio City Music Hall in 1991. February 24, 1992 Waring Abbott/Getty Images In 1992, Franklin mingled with Donald Trump, Clive Davis, and Marla Maples at an Arista Records Grammy party. February 26, 1997 KATHY WILLENS/AP/REX/Shutterstock The singer loved her fur coats, like the one she wore to the 39th Annual Grammy Awards in 1997. February 25, 1998 TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images Franklin shared a moment with the Blues Brothers — John Goodman, J.Evan Bonifant, Joe Morton, and Dan Aykroyd — after performing at the 40th Grammy Awards in 1998. April 14, 1998 Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images Franklin sang with fellow diva Mariah Carey on Divas Live: An Honors Concert for VH1 Save the Music at New York City's Beacon Theater. September 1999 STEPHEN JAFFE/AFP/Getty Images President Bill Clinton presented Franklin with the National Medal of Arts in 1999, as first lady Hillary Clinton applauded. 2001 SUZANNE PLUNKETT/AP/REX/Shutterstock Franklin was honored in 2001 at the VH1 Divas 2001: The One and Only Aretha Franklin tribute. April 22, 2005 Ralph Notaro/Getty Images The singer donned a voluminous gown for a concert at the Mizner Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton, Fla. June 5, 2005 Stephen Lovekin/WireImage Franklin performed a duet of "Somewhere" from West Side Story with Hugh Jackman at the 59th Annual Tony Awards in 2005. 2005 Harry Langdon/Getty Images In 2005, Franklin received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame. She also became the second woman inducted into the U.K. Music Hall of Fame. January 20, 2009 Ron Antonelli/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images Franklin delivered a rousing rendition of "America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee")" during Barack Obama's inauguration as 44th president of the United States in 2009. July 25, 2012 Kevin Winter/Getty Images Though she had a major fear of flying, Franklin still got around, traveling to destinations as far away as Los Angeles (where she's seen performing here) on her custom bus. April 12, 2013 Jag Gundu/Getty Images Franklin brougth her amazing voice to Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto in 2013. March 22, 2014 Cindy Ord/FilmMagic She celebrated her 72nd birthday with Clive Davis (and a piece of cake) in New York City. May 21, 2014 Frank Franklin II/AP/REX/Shutterstock Franklin received a Doctor of Fine Arts degree from New York University in 2014. May 29, 2015 Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic Franklin posed for a family photo with son Kecalf and grandaughter Victorie while attending Chicago on Broadway. December 9, 2015 Jon Pack/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images Franklin belted out "I Will Survive (The Aretha Version)" on Late Night With Seth Meyers. December 15, 2015 Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic Franklin posed backstage with Jennifer Hudson after a Broadway performance of The Color Purple. Hudson is set to play the Queen of Soul in an upcoming biopic. December 17, 2015 Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Jazz at Lincoln Center During the same trip to New York, Franklin attended the opening of the Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Atrium at Jazz at Lincoln Center. April 19, 2017 Taylor Hill/Getty Images Franklin took the stage at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival Opening Gala premiere of Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of our Lives at Radio City Music Hall. November 7, 2017 Nicholas Hunt/WireImage She also performed at an event celebrating Elton John and the 25th anniversary of his AIDS Foundation at New York City's Cathedral of St. John the Divine.