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Detroit residents remember Aretha Franklin, impact on city

DETROIT, MI (AP)--   To the rest of the world, she was known as the Queen of Soul — a woman whose strong and soulful voice could effortlessly jump multiple octaves whether belting out tear-jerking ballads or jump-and-shout gospel. 

To Detroit residents who followed her more than 50-year career, she simply was Aretha or more personally, Ree-Ree.

Franklin was Detroit's favorite daughter, often singing at the church that her father once led and headlining charity functions for kids or the less fortunate. Franklin died Thursday in Detroit from pancreatic cancer.

Detroit resident Myron Pullin says Franklin "was a pioneer woman for Detroit" who always came home and "always gave back." He says Franklin "always loved Detroit."

The feeling was mutual. Franklin is so beloved in Detroit that two streets bear her name.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.