the river was deep i didn t falter when the mountain was high i still believed when the valley was low it didn t stop me i knew you were waiting i knew you were waiting for me musicians, politicians, music lovers everywhere have been sharing their remembrances of aretha franklin on twitter after we learned that the undisputed queen of soul died at her detroit home this morning. aretha franklin was 76 years old. she had been battling pancreatic cancer. funeral arrangements will be announced in the coming days. president trump talked about the iconic singer during a cabinet meeting this afternoon. she s brought joy to millions of lives and her extraordinary legacy will thrive and inspire many generations to come. she was given a great gift from god, her voice, and she used it