Aretha Franklin, regarded as one of the greatest singers of all time, has died at 76. The news came from her representative on Thursday (August 16), and her family confirmed she had been gravely ill with relatives at her bedside.

In a statement, the family spoke of one of the darkest moments of their lives and said they had lost the matriarch and rock of their family. The statement highlighted her love for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.

According to the obituary, the singer died of advanced pancreatic cancer. Born in Memphis and raised in Detroit, she became the voice most associated with American soul and recorded classics including Respect.