Aretha Franklin through the years in photos

Queen of soul Aretha Franklin holds her Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blue performance of the song "Bridge Over Troubled Waters," March 13, 1972, in New York. (AP Photo/Dave Pickoff)

Soul singer Aretha Franklin is shown at a news conference on March 26, 1973. (AP Photo)

FILE - In this April 8, 1975 file photo, singer Aretha Franklin performs during the 47th Annual Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. A person close to Franklin said on Monday that the 76-year-old singer is ill. Franklin canceled planned concerts earlier this year after she was ordered by her doctor to stay off the road and rest up. (AP Photo, File)

Sylvester Levay and Aretha Franklin,right, are shown at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Feb. 28, 1976. (AP Photo)

Aretha Franklin and her new husband, Glen Turman, arrive at a Los Angeles hotel, April 17, 1978 for their wedding reception. Turman signals his okay and pleasure at the reception as Kecalf (cq) 8, Aretha's son by a previous marriage looks on. The couple married recently,had planned a reception at her Beverly Hills home on Saturday but the party was rained out, and moved to the hotel for the Sunday party. (AP Photo/Doug Pizac)

Aretha Franklin holds both shoes and award after being honored during the 10th annual American Music Award presentation in Los Angele, Jan. 17, 1983. Ms. Franklin received her third American Music award by winning the honor for favorite soul album with "Jump To It." (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

Singers James Brown and Aretha Franklin perform at the Taboo night club in Detroit Saturday night, Jan. 11, 1987, for a show which was taped for airing on HBO.

Singing great Aretha Franklin joins George Michael on stage during his Faith World Tour in the Detroit area at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Aug. 30, 1988. The duo sang their Grammy-winning hit "I Knew You Were Waiting." (AP Photo/Rob Kozloff)

Aretha Franklin performs at New York's Radio City Music Hall, July 5, 1989. (AP Photo/Mario Suriani)

Entertainer Aretha Franklin performs at New York's Radio City Music Hall, July 6, 1989. (AP Photo/Mario Suriani)

Aretha Franklin performs at Radio City Music Hall in New York, July 5, 1989. (AP Photo/Mario Suriani)

Aretha Franklin in Gospel Fast at Madison Square Garden

Aretha Franklin.

In this Jan. 19, 1993 file photo, singer Aretha Franklin performs at the inaugural gala for President Bill Clinton in Washington.

Singer Aretha Franklin listens to composer Morton Gould, as actor Kirk Douglas looks on following a dinner at the State Department in Washington Saturday, Dec. 3, 1994. The dinner was held to honor them as recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors of 1994. Also honored were songwriter Pete Seeger and Director Harold Prince.

Aretha Franklin plays with a camcorder before a concert rehearsal in New York, April 27, 1995. Franklin's Thursday performance is to benefit New York City's Presbyterian Hospital's Sloane Hospital for Women. (AP Photo/Joe Tabacca)

Soul singer Aretha Franklin finishes her set at the Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Saturday, Sep. 2, 1995. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Aretha Franklin sings with The Blues Brothers during rehearsals for the 40th Annual Grammy Awards at New York's Radio City Music Hall, in this Feb. 22, 1998.

Aretha Franklin sings the national anthem at the beginning of "The Three Tenors" concert at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Saturday, July 17, 1999.

President Clinton prepares to kiss singer Aretha Franklin after awarding her with a National Medal of Arts during a ceremony in Washington Wednesday, Sept. 29, 1999. First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton is at left.

Aretha Franklin

The Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin performs during the Lane Bryant Spring-Summer 2001 Lingerie Show Monday, Feb. 5, 2001, in New York.

Singer Aretha Franklin is shown in Detroit, Mich., March 17, 2001, in this photo provided by VH1. Franklin and her music will be feted by the likes of Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige and Jill Scott on VH1's ""Divas"" show, in a concert which will air live from New York's Radio City Music Hall scheduled for April 10.

Aretha Franklin sings with Stevie Wonder at the finale of the "VH1 Divas 2001: The One and Only Aretha Franklin" event Tuesday, April 10, 2001, in New York. The special tribute also featured Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, Cella Cruz, Marc Anthony and Kid Rock.

Aretha Franklin the "Queen of Soul," performs during the "VH1 Divas 2001: The One and Only Aretha Franklin" tribute Tuesday, April 10, 2001, in New York. The special tribute will also feature Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, Cella Cruz, Marc Anthony and Kid Rock.

Aretha Franklin the "Queen of Soul," performs during the "VH1 Divas 2001: The One and Only Aretha Franklin" tribute Tuesday, April 10, 2001, in New York. The special tribute will also feature Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, Cella Cruz, Marc Anthony and Kid Rock.

Singer Aretha Franklin wears a button with a picture of her father, the Rev. C.L. Franklin, during a gospel tribute to the clergyman Sunday, July 29, 2001, at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit. The Rev. Franklin was critically injured during a robbery attempt in 1979 and died in 1984 after lingering in a coma after being shot during the crime. The memorial, part of the Detroit 300 observance, featured musical tributes and testimonials from friends and colleagues.

Singer Aretha Franklin performs at the Fox Theater in Detroit during the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. day celebration on Monday, Jan. 21, 2002.

Aretha Franklin sings 'America the Beautiful' before the start of the womens' final between Venus Williams and Serena Williams at the US Open Saturday, Sept. 7, 2002 in New York.

Aretha Franklin performs the national anthem on the Mall in Washington during "NFL Kickoff Live 2003" Thursday, Sept. 4, 2003, in Washington.

Singer Aretha Frankin is assisted from the stage at BET's studio in Washington Saturday, October 18, 2003 during the BET 9th Annual Walk of Fame: A Tribute to Aretha Franklin.

Aretha Franklin arrives at the annual Independence Day "White Party" hosted by Sean "P. Diddy" Combs at the PlayStation 2 Estate in Bridgehampton, N.Y., Sunday, July 4, 2004.

Aretha Franklin is shown in concert at The Greek Theatre on Sept. 17, 2004, in Los Angeles, Calif.

Aretha Franklin sings at the McDonald's Gospelfest 2005, Saturday, June 4, 2005, in New York.

Aretha Franklin place a rose on the casket of Luther Vandross before she sings at his funeral, Friday July 8, 2005 in New York.

Aretha Franklin performs during a benefit concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom on Nov. 14, 2006 in New York. A musical based on her 1999 autobiography, "Aretha: From These Roots," will tour nationally, the Detroit Free Press reported Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2006.

Aretha Franklin poses as she arrives at the MusiCares tribute to her where she was honored as their person of the year, in this Feb. 8, 2008, file photo in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, file)

In this Nov. 21, 2008 file photo, Aretha Franklin performs at the House of Blues in Los Angeles.

Aretha Franklin performing at BergenPAC’s 2010 Spring Gala in Englewood. 05/22/2010

In this July 26, 2010 photo, performer Aretha Franklin looks out a window, in Philadelphia. Franklin says she believed Whitney Houston had overcome her demons and was primed for a comeback, which made learning of the troubled singer's death all the more of a shock. Interviewed on NBC's Today show Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, Franklin said she was watching TV in her hotel room in Charlotte, N.C., when she learned of Houston's death.

Aretha Franklin celebrates her 69th birthday, in New York, Friday, March 25, 2011.

In this May 17, 2011 file photo, singer Aretha Franklin appears at a taping of "Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular," in Chicago. Franklin released a statement Monday, Jan. 2, 2012, saying she's ready to tie the knot with longtime friend William “Willie” Wilkerson.

Aretha Franklin. Photographed in Detroit, MI April 7th, 2014.

Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

Soul singer Aretha Franklin stands on stage at Princeton University in Princeton, N.J., Tuesday, June 5, 2012, as the "Queen of Soul" receives an honorary Doctorate of Music degree during Princeton University's commencement. Following Princeton tradition, the identity of the honorary degree recipients was kept secret until the morning of the Ivy League school's commencement.

This July 25, 2012 file photo shows Aretha Franklin performing at the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles. Franklin sang for Mrs. Obama and about 3,000 fans at DAR Constitution Hall on Saturday, Nov. 17. Afterward, Franklin said it was great to see her VIP guests relax and shake their hips a little, especially after a tough reelection campaign.

Aretha Franklin Headlines Cancer Survivor Event hosted by John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center and held at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. 09/30/2012

Aretha Franklin Headlines Cancer Survivor Event hosted by John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center and held at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. 09/30/2012

Aretha Franklin Headlines Cancer Survivor Event hosted by John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center and held at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. 09/30/2012

Aretha Franklin Headlines Cancer Survivor Event hosted by John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center and held at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. 09/30/2012

Aretha Franklin in MUSCLE SHOALS, a Magnolia Pictures release.

Aretha Franklin announced the pre-production of her new album as she played a few songs for the media at the Southfield Westin Hotel, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013, in Southfield, Mich.

Aretha Franklin and Denzel Washington with Clifton Oliver, rear, attend her 72nd birthday celebration on Saturday, March 22, 2014 in New York.

In a Thursday, May 29, 2014 file photo, singer Aretha Franklin looks up while seated on stage during Harvard University commencement ceremonies, in Cambridge, Mass., where she was presented with an honorary Doctor of Arts degree. Franklin has some harsh words for a New York server at a at a Johnny Rockets restaurant in Lewiston near Buffalo who told the Queen of Soul she wasn’t allowed to eat her takeout inside the restaurant. A spokesman for Franklin says on Tuesday, July 22, Franklin ordered a hamburger after performing a sold-out show. But he says the server screamed at Franklin, saying she couldn’t sit down to eat because she had ordered takeout. A Johnny Rockets spokeswoman says the franchise owner is sorry for the actions of “a new and very young employee.”

In a March 4, 2015, file photo, singer Aretha Franklin is interviewed after a taping for American Idol XIV at The Fillmore Detroit. A federal judge in Denver on Friday, Sept. 4, 2015, blocked the scheduled screening at the Telluride Film Festival of the film “Amazing Grace,” which features footage from 1972 of a Franklin concert, after the singer objected to its release.

American singer Aretha Franklin sings as Pope Francis and others listen during the World Meeting of Families festival in Philadelphia, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015.