10 notable Christian deaths of 2018

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Saturday, December 15, 2018

Aretha Franklin – Aug. 16, 2018

Famed singer Aretha Franklin, whose seven-decades career in music featured hit songs in both Christian and secular genres, died at age 76 due to an advanced form of pancreatic cancer.

Franklin became the first female performer to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with 18 Grammy Awards under her belt, and 75 million records sold worldwide.

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Franklin is known for hits such as "RESPECT," "Natural Woman," "I Say A Little Prayer" and "Chain of Fools” and for the 1972 gospel album “Amazing Grace,” which sold approximately 2 million copies.

A native of Memphis, Tennessee, she was the daughter of a popular preacher who moved his family out to Detroit, Michigan, when she was 5. 

“I grew up listening to her almost every day,” gospel singer Yolanda Adams wrote on Instagram upon learning of Franklin’s death. “My heart is overwhelmed because Mrs. Aretha had such a great influence on my musical life.”