Aretha Franklin was known as the “Queen of Soul.” On August 16, she passed away due to pancreatic cancer. Franklin grew up listening to soul music by the reason of her father being a gospel singer.

Born on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, she was surrounded by music. Her family moved to Detroit, Michigan, in 1944. At the age of six, her mother left and then died about a year later.

In the 1950s, Franklin had already learned to play piano and was singing in the church’s choir with her sisters. She was acquainted with Martin Luther King Jr. In 1956, she gave birth to her first son, Clarence, at the age of 14. At the same time she also released her first album.

Two years later in 1958 she gave birth to her second son, Edward. In 1960, she signed to Columbia Records and moved to New York to officially start her career. Here is a list of some of her songs:

• Don’t Play That Song
• I Say A Little Prayer
• Natural Woman
• Chain Of Fools
• Ain’t No Way
• Rock Steady 
• Day Dreaming