Aretha Franklin, the long-reigning "Queen of Soul" who sang with matchless style on such classics as "Think" and her signature song, "Respect," died Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018, at age 76, said her representative, Gwendolyn Quinn.
The cause was advanced pancreatic cancer.
The Queen of Soul canceled planned concerts earlier this year after she was ordered by her doctor to stay off the road and rest up.
Last year, the 76-year-old icon announced her plans to retire, saying she would perform at "some select things."
Aretha Franklin, 1972
Vocalist Aretha Franklin warbles a few notes into microphone in Jan. 28, 1972 photo. (AP Photo)
Aretha Franklin at the Grammys, 1972
Queen of soul Aretha Franklin holds her Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blue performance of the song "Bridge Over Troubled Waters," March 13, 1972, in New York. (AP Photo/Dave Pickoff)
Aretha Franklin, 1973
Soul singer Aretha Franklin is shown at a news conference on March 26, 1973. (AP Photo)
Sylvester Levay and Aretha Franklin, 1976
Sylvester Levay and Aretha Franklin,right, are shown at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Feb. 28, 1976. (AP Photo)
Aretha Franklin and Glen Turman, 1978
Aretha Franklin and her new husband, Glen Turman, arrive at a Los Angeles hotel, April 17, 1978 for their wedding reception. Turman signals his okay and pleasure at the reception as Kecalf (cq) 8, Aretha's son by a previous marriage looks on. The couple married recently,had planned a reception at her Beverly Hills home on Saturday but the party was rained out, and moved to the hotel for the Sunday party. (AP Photo/Doug Pizac)
Aretha Franklin, 1983
Aretha Franklin holds both shoes and award after being honored during the 10th annual American Music Award presentation in Los Angele, Jan. 17, 1983. Ms. Franklin received her third American Music award by winning the honor for favorite soul album with "Jump To It." (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
James Brown and Aretha Franklin, 1987
Singers James Brown and Aretha Franklin perform at the Taboo night club in Detroit Saturday night, Jan. 11, 1987, for a show which was taped for airing on HBO. (AP Photo/Joe Kennedy)
Aretha Franklin and George Michael, 1988
Singing great Aretha Franklin joins George Michael on stage during his Faith World Tour in the Detroit area at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Aug. 30, 1988. The duo sang their Grammy-winning hit "I Knew You Were Waiting." (AP Photo/Rob Kozloff)
Aretha Franklin, 1989
Entertainer Aretha Franklin performs at New York's Radio City Music Hall, July 6, 1989. (AP Photo/Mario Suriani)
Sammy Cahn, Barry Manilow, Aretha Franklin and Clive Davis, 1992
Clive Davis, head of Arista Records, holds an award presented to him for his contribution to the record industry at the annual Friars Club dinner held at New York's Waldorf-Astoria on June 6, 1992. Standing with Davis are, from left, lyricist Sammy Cahn and singers Barry Manilow and Aretha Franklin. (AP Photo/Andrew Savulich)
Aretha Franklin, 1992
Aretha Franklin sings at the Democratic National Convention in New York, July 14, 1992. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
Aretha Franklin, 1993
Rhythm and Blues singer Aretha Franklin performs at the inaugural gala for U.S. President Bill Clinton in Washington D.C. on Jan. 19, 1993. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)
Aretha Franklin, 1993
Singing legend Aretha Franklin brings down the house in the finale of "Aretha Franklin: Duets," an AIDS benefit concert in New York, April 28, 1993. From left to right: Franklin, singers Smokey Robinson, Gloria Estefan, Rod Stewart, Bonnie Raitt, and actors Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro. Proceeds from the concert will go to the Gay Men's Health Crisis. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)
Aretha Franklin, 1994
Aretha Franklin gestures backstage after winning a Grammy for lifetime achievement at the 36th Annual Grammy Awards at New York's Radio City Music Hall, March 1, 1994. (AP Photo/Mike Albans)
Aretha Franklin and Morton Gould, 1994
Singer Aretha Franklin listens to composer Morton Gould, as actor Kirk Douglas looks on following a dinner at the State Department in Washington Saturday, Dec. 3, 1994. The dinner was held to honor them as recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors of 1994. Also honored were songwriter Pete Seeger and Director Harold Prince. (AP Photo/Doug Mills)
Aretha Franklin, 1995
Aretha Franklin plays with a camcorder before a concert rehearsal in New York, April 27, 1995. Franklin's Thursday performance is to benefit New York City's Presbyterian Hospital's Sloane Hospital for Women. (AP Photo/Joe Tabacca)
Aretha Franklin, 1998
Aretha Franklin raises her arms in jubilation after standing in for Luciano Pavarotti at the last minute at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards Wednesday, Feb. 25, 1998, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Franklin sang "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot" when Pavarotti called in sick. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Aretha Franklin, 1998
Singer Aretha Franklin performs during the Newport Jazz Festival, Saturday, Aug. 15, 1998 at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, R.I. The festival ends Sunday, and will feature David Sanborn, Cassandra Wilson and Dave Brubeck. (AP Photo/Robert Button)
Aretha Franklin, 1998
Singer Aretha Franklin dances on stage during the first annual march on cancer Saturday, Sept. 26, 1998, in Washington. The daylong event, known as ``The March,'' drew thousands of cancer survivors, patients, and loved ones descending on the National Mall to remember cancer victims and to ask for more research funds. (AP Photo/Khue Bui)
Aretha Franklin, 2001
Aretha Franklin the "Queen of Soul," performs during the "VH1 Divas 2001: The One and Only Aretha Franklin" tribute Tuesday, April 10, 2001, in New York. (AP Photo/Suzanne Plunkett)
Aretha Franklin, 2002
Singer Aretha Franklin lights a cauldron with the Olympic torch after completing her leg of the torch relay Sunday, Jan. 6, 2002, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Warner)
Aretha Franklin, 2003
Aretha Franklin performs the National Anthem on the Mall in Washington during "NFL Kickoff Live 2003," Thursday, Sept. 4, 2003, in Washington. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Aretha Franklin, 2004
Soul songstress Aretha Franklin, a 1994 Kennedy Center honoree, arrives for the gala performance celebrating the Kennedy Center Honors at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 5, 2004. Recipients at this year's 27th Kennedy Center Honors are actor, producer, writer and director Warren Beatty; husband-and-wife actors, writers and producers Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee; singer and composer Elton John; soprano Joan Sutherland; and composer and conductor John Williams. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Aretha Franklin, 2005
Aretha Franklin sings at the McDonald's Gospelfest 2005, Saturday, June 4, 2005, in New York. The event is in its 22nd year of celebrating gospel music and features a talent competition for choirs, steppers, praise dancers and soloists. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff)
Aretha Franklin, 2005
Soul singer Aretha Franklin performs during a ceremony honoring her father, the Rev. C.L. Franklin, at a city park named in the late civil rights leader's honor Monday, Aug. 1, 2005, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Aretha Franklin, 2006
Aretha Franklin arrives and greets the guests at "An Evening of Stars Tribute to Aretha Franklin" Saturday Sept. 9, 2006 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, CA this was the 2nd day of taping. (AP Photo/Earl Gibson)
Aretha Franklin, 2006
Aretha Franklin performs during a benefit concert for the National Marfan Foundation at Hammerstein Ballroom Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006 in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
Aretha Franklin, 2009
Aretha Franklin performs at President Barack Obama's swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
Aretha Franklin, 2010
In this July 26, 2010 file photo, Aretha Franklin is shown in Philadelphia. Franklin is canceling all concert dates and personal appearances through May, her spokeswoman said Thursday, Nov. 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Aretha Franklin and Oprah Winfrey, 2011
Aretha Franklin and Oprah Winfrey acknowledge fans during a star-studded double-taping of "Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular," Tuesday, May 17, 2011, in Chicago. "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is ending its run May 25, after 25 years, and millions of her fans around the globe are waiting to see how she will close out a show that spawned a media empire. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Aretha Franklin, 2013
Singer Aretha Franklin performs at the Fashion Group International's 30th annual "Night Of Stars" awards gala at Cipriani's Wall Street on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Barack Obama, Eric Holder, Aretha Franklin, 2015
President Barack Obama, right, smiles as outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder, left, bows to singer Aretha Franklin as she arrives in a surprise appearance to sing at an event celebrating Holder at the Department of Justice in Washington, Friday, Feb. 27, 2015. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Aretha Franklin, 2017
In this April 19, 2017, file photo, Aretha Franklin performs at the world premiere of "Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives" at Radio City Music Hall, during the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Aretha Franklin, Sting, Aerosmith, Beck, Jack White and Lionel Richie are among the headliners for the 2018 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. On Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, organizers on Tuesday released the music lineup. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
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Aretha Franklin, the long-reigning "Queen of Soul" who sang with matchless style on such classics as "Think" and her signature song, "Respect," died Thursday at age 76, said her representative, Gwendolyn Quinn.
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