Lovers of soul music yesterday gathered to celebrate Aretha Franklin popularly known as ‘The Queen of Soul’ for been awarded with the Posthumous Pulitzer prize. The famous song writer and musician was awarded a special citation prize for “her indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades” the Pulitzer judges press release noted.
Aretha Franklin is the first individual woman to receive this award which began in 1930 and also the first woman to be admitted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. In 1999, she was honored with the National Medal of Arts award and on November 9, 2005, she was bestowed the Presidential Media of Freedom.
Some of her popular albums that gained world recognition include ‘I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You’ (1967), ‘Amazing Grace’ (1972), ‘Young, Gifted and Black’ (1972), ‘Sparkle’ (1976) among others. Known for her music and civil rights activities, Aretha Franklin died on August 16, 2018 at the age of 76 of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor although her death was mis-reported as pancreatic cancer, a different disease.
