Aretha Franklin, who has died at the age of 76, was much more than an entertainer and in many ways could be described as the voice of an entire community.
She performed at the funeral of the US civil rights leader Martin Luther King in 1968 and was centre stage again for the inauguration of her country’s first black president, Barack Obama, more than four decades later.
Her most iconic song, Respect, came to be regarded as the anthem of all those who campaigned for racial and sexual equality not just in America but around the world.
She was among the greatest singers of the 20th century, and will be sadly missed, but by any standards she has left a unique legacy.
