Aretha Franklin, whose eruptive and gospel-rooted singing earned her the title of 'the Queen of Soul', has died.

Franklin passed away on Thursday morning, August 16 at 9.50 am at her home in Detroit, MI, surrounded by family and loved ones.

"Over the course of her decades-long career, which included many years with the Sony Music family, she inspired countless musicians and fans, and created a legacy that paved the way for a long line of strong female artists." Franklin's record label Sony Music said in a statement.

"Aretha helped define the American experience. In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade- our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect. May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace." Barak Obama said on Twitter.

From her early hits like "I Never Loved a Man" and "Think", there was no mistaking the successful future the gospel singer had ahead of her. Her journey from singing in her father's church to tackling the world of pop was only the beginning. Franklin was also the voice for the civil rights movement that embodied the African American experience of the 60's.

Her version of "Respect", written by Otis Redding, became the anthem for the civil rights movement.

Franklin continued to release music in the following decades, scoring 44 Grammy nominations and winning 18, and become the first female performer inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Her influence stretched to various African-American female singers including Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, and Beyonce.

Franklin's health began to decline in 2010, when she had a tumour removed, losing her battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 76.