Celebrities mourn the death of the 'Queen of Soul' Aretha Franklin

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By VT

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After a long battle with pancreatic cancer, Aretha Franklin, the 'Queen of Soul,' died at the age of 76. The Detroit icon had one of the greatest voices in musical history, and was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Over the course of her incredible 50-year career, she won 18 Grammy Awards and sold 75 million records worldwide. She is best known for the classic songs Respect, I Say A Little Prayer, and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.

"In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart," Franklins' family said in a statement. "We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family." They're not alone in their grief. On social media, fans, celebrities and public figures mourned the loss of her indelible voice. These include people from different generations, different professions and different sides of the political aisle. It's easy to forget we're only on this earth for a short amount of time; you don't know what you got until it's gone.

Barbara Streisand

John Legend

Diana Ross

Ariana Grande

Carole King

Kelly Clarkson

Bette Midler

Questlove

Paul McCartney

Christina Aguilera

Tony Bennett

Shania Twain

Patti La Belle

Missy Elliott

Elton John

Britney Spears

Idina Menzel

Ringo Starr

Lenny Kravitz

Reba McEntire

Chance The Rapper

Gene Simmons

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Toni Braxton

Hugh Jackman

Ava DuVernay

Kelly Rowland

Liam Gallagher

Faith Hill

Ryan Seacrest

Whoopi Goldberg

Hillary Clinton

Donald Trump

Barack Obama

R.I.P. to the Queen.