American songstress Aretha Franklin has died aged 76. Celebrities the world over are paying their respect to the "Queen of Soul".
ADVERTISEMENTCelebrities are mourning the death of songstress Aretha Franklin and paying tribute to her decades-long career.
The "Queen of Soul" died in Detroit at the age of 76 following a long battle with pancreatic cancer, her publicist said on Thursday.
Here are some of the tributes posted on social media:
Franklin gave her final public performance last November at the Elton John Aids Foundation gala in New York.
Elton John paid tribute to his American comtemporary with a touching note on Instagram.
"The loss of Aretha Franklin is a blow for everybody who loves real music," he wrote.
"I adored her and worshipped her talent. God bless her. My condolences to all her family and friends," he added.
American singer and producer Quincy Jones, with whom Franklin had collaborated, took to Twitter to praise his friend's "professionalism, class, grace, & humility."
"I treasured every moment that we spent together," Jones wrote, adding: "You will reign as the Queen forever."
Sony Music praised the singer for inspiring "countless musicians and fans" as well as for creating "a legacy that paved the way for a long line of strong female artists."
Tributes also fused from the world of politics with Donald Trump describing her as "a great woman."
Franklin was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in 2005.
Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, said that "we were all graced with a glimpse of the divine"every time Franklin sang.
"Aretha may have passed on to a better place, but the gift of her music remains to inspire us all," they added.
Franklin famously reduced the former US president to tears with a rendition of her hit song "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" in 2015. She also sang at Obama's inauguration in 2009.