What You Never Knew About Aretha Franklin

By the time Franklin retired from touring, her career had been going strong for over 60 years. She had the opportunity to perform at three presidential inaugurations, including President Barack Obama's in 2009. Franklin herself called the event "phenomenal" when speaking to Billboard. "Just masses of people, no matter what direction you looked," she added.

Franklin was also actively involved in the civil rights movement of the '60s. At Martin Luther King Jr.'s funeral, Franklin sang a song in his memory. Through the years, Franklin didn't slow down her involvement in the causes she was passionate about, including the clean water crisis in Flint, Michigan. 

All in all, her musical career earned her 18 Grammy Awards and the sale of "8.8 million albums during the Nielsen Music era," Billboard stated. When asked what's been her greatest legacy, the icon replied, "I don't know —somewhere between the musical and the humanitarian." Undoubtedly, she will be remembered for both.