Aretha Franklin: Remembering The Icon's Life In Soulful Photos

Aretha Franklin, the world's Queen of Soul, was mourned like few Americans before her when she died Thursday at age 76. Along with the tears came a celebration of Franklin's joyous life and the musical and social treasures she gifted. From decades of defining performances that helped shape the music industry to the impact she made at the White House, see some of Aretha Franklin's most memorable moments below.

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Aretha Franklin: Life In Pictures

Aretha Franklin was born on March 25th, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, where she discovered her talent for music while singing gospel at church. After setting out to fulfill her passion at only 18 years old, Aretha Franklin quickly became a star on the Atlantic Record label. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images)

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Being dubbed as the 'Queen of Soul' didn't take long, as Franklin's star power and talent were unparalleled to those around her -- evident in this 1967 photo of the 25-year-old singer. (Photo by Kent / Mediapunch/Shutterstock)

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In 1961, at only 19 years old, Franklin married her manager Ted White. The couple, seen here in this portrait taken on May 11th, 1968, would soon end their marriage just shy of 10 years. The singer's second marriage suffered the same fate nearly a decade later. (Photo by Roger Bamber / Associated Newspapers /Shutterstock)

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Franklin's love life took a backseat to her versatile talent, which paved the way to a diverse career, also spanning into film as well. This 1980 photo shows her with stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd on set of their musical comedy 'The Blues Brothers,' -- a star-turning moment for the Queen of Soul. (Photo by Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock)

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Continuing her reign through the 1980s, Franklin further cemented her legendary status not only on a national level, but all over the world. The singer is seen here in January 1983 dazzling the crowd in Cannes, France. (Photo by Andre Csillag/Shutterstock)

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The performer was vocal beyond the stage too, often lending her support to causes she believed in. Franklin can be seen here in 1993 performing with Michael Jackson and Diana Ross at the Inaugural Gala for former President Bill Clinton in Washington D.C. (Photo by Mark Reinstein/Shutterstock)

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Franklin's extracurriculars also earned her prestigious accolades beyond the recognition in the music industry. On December 2nd, 1994, the Queen of Soul was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors and appeared before former President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton at a White House reception. (Photo by Shutterstock)

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Don't forget Franklin's performance of her hit 'RESPECT' at the 1999 White House Correspondents Association Dinner, which many remember for this iconic dress. (Photo by Shutterstock)

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Or the solace she provided to the country during her headlining concert for the Hurricane Katrina Rescue Fund on September 12th, 2005. (Photo by Angello Picco/Shutterstock)

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And two months later on November 9th, 2005, an emotional Franklin received the Medal of Freedom from former President George W. Bush. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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The Queen of Soul is also remembered for her performance at the Inauguration Ceremony of former President Barack Obama on January 20th, 2009 where she dominated the ears of a whole new generation. (Photo by Shutterstock)

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The singer's career and relevance showed no signs of slowing down, even after being diagnosed in 2010 with cancer. Franklin can be seen here on May 3rd, 2011 performing in New York City more powerful than ever. (Photo by John Barrett/photolink/Shutterstock)

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She continued to show the world why she is the Queen of Soul, giving some of her most memorable performances in the last decade of her life. She toured in 2012, bringing down the house at legendary venues like Radio City Music Hall, as seen here. (Photo by Greg Allen/Shutterstock)

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Many will remember her powerhouse performance on September 3rd, 2014 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Manuel Nauta/NurPhoto/Shutterstock)

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Even Franklin's birthdays were honored as a national tradition with annual bashes that were always known to draw some of the biggest A-listers around. In this photo from March 22nd, 2015 Franklin can be seen blowing out her candles accompanied by, from left to right, Donna Richardson Joyner, Attorney General Eric Holder, Tamron Hall and Clive Davis. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Shutterstock)

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In one of her most emotional performances to date, Franklin turned out for her longtime friend Clive Davis 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. (Photo by Invision/AP/Shutterstock)

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A few months later on August 26th, 2017, Franklin did a concert at The Mann Center in Philadelphia showing the world her staying power. (Photo by Shutterstock)

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On November 7th, 2017 Aretha Franklin attended the Elton John AIDS Foundation's 25th Anniversary Gala in New York, which ultimately would be the singer's last live performance and one that the world will never forget. (Photo by Invision/AP/Shutterstock)

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Goodbye To The Queen of Soul...

May your legacy live on.

Play us out, Ms. Franklin, please...

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Lead Gallery Image by Shutterstock