True to the End
In her later years, Franklin’s health became a hot topic. Sadly, she lost both of her sisters to cancer. One had throat cancer, and the other one died of breast cancer. Her brother also suffered from lung cancer. For the next few years, the singer ended canceling numerous scheduled shows due to mysterious health reasons.
Photo by Soul Brother / WWD / Shutterstock
Franklin even underwent surgery at one point. She did manage to keep it a secret until the very end as she refused to discuss the illness. When the singer passed away on August 16th, 2018, it was finally revealed that she was dealing with pancreatic cancer. She was 76 years old when she died, but she was surrounded by her family, friends, and loved ones.