88.5 WXPN to play nonstop Aretha Franklin songs today as tribute to the late singer
Listen to the Queen of Soul all day
The Philly public radio station 88.5 WXPN is playing Aretha Franklin songs all day today in remembrance of the late singer, who died of pancreatic cancer Thursday in her Detroit home at age 76.
The Queen of Soul's music can be heard on the station through 7 p.m., according to a release. WXPN will also air a special episode of World Cafe that commemorates Franklin's accomplishments in music at 3 p.m.
The special, a release notes, will include appearances from Dr. Deborah Pollard, a Detroit-based gospel music professor, NPR senior director Lauren Onkey, and NPR music critic Ann Powers. Previously, celebrity fans weighed in on Franklin's death online.
Known for hits like "Think," "The House That Jack Built," and "Respect," Franklin was a prolific performer who began her career in music in 1956, when she was just 14. That year, she released Songs of Faith, a gospel album, before moving into secular music with subsequent releases.
From the 1960s onward, Franklin found success in soul, R&B, and pop, and released more than 30 studio albums in total. She also began appearing in films, most notably in 1980's The Blues Brothers, and the film's followup, Blues Brothers 2000.
Her work in music earned Franklin 14 Grammy awards throughout her career, and in 1987, she became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As far back as 2008, Rolling Stone named Franklin the greatest singer of all time.