Aretha Franklin’s body has been removed from her Detroit home.
The 76-year-old soul legend lost her battle with pancreatic cancer on Thursday (16.08.18) aged 76, and her remains have now been taken by hearse to the nearby Swanson Funeral Home.
And sources told The Blast that the company have brought in extra security to protect the body while plans for her funeral are made with her loved ones.
Meanwhile, the ‘Natural Woman’ singer’s nephew Tim Franklin has spoken out to praise his aunt for the way she always looked out for their family, especially after her siblings passed away.
He told People magazine: "We had all lost our parents – she stepped in and filled the gap. She was the last one of the siblings, and when my aunt Erma and my dad died within a couple months of each other, she stepped right in and put her feelings aside even though she was grieving a loss that was two months apart. She might have grieved in private, but we never saw it."
And he insisted the ‘Respect’ singer kept her public persona away from her private life.
He said: "The Queen of Soul — we didn’t know her. She was able to keep that separate from her personal life, so we never knew the Queen of Soul. Rather, we knew that was an accomplishment that she had made."
Aretha’s family issued a statement on Thursday announcing one of the "darkest moments" they had experienced.
They said: "Franklin’s official cause of death was due to advance pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type, which was confirmed by Franklin’s oncologist, Dr. Philip Phillips of Karmanos Cancer Institute" in Detroit.
"In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family."
Aretha Franklin’s body moved from home
