In 1967, Pervis Spann placed a crown on the head of Aretha Franklin at the Regal Theatre in Chicago, and declared her the Queen of Soul. Today, after what appears to have been an extended bout of ill health, the Queen has passed away at age 76, the Associated Press confirms. Easily one of the most influential singers of all time, Franklin started her career in the church where her father served as preacher, recording some of her earliest tracks at the astonishing age of 14. She rose to stardom in the 1960s after signing first with Columbia Records and then Atlantic Records. She would go on to record 42 studio albums ... (full story)