Two doctors who treated the late Aretha Franklin have opened up about their experience with the "kind, respectful, and funny" star.
The Queen of Soul passed away following a battle with pancreatic cancer on 16 August 2018. She was 76.
And to mark the anniversary of the Respect hitmaker's death, Dr. Manisha Shah of Ohio State University and Dr. Philip Agop Philip, a professor at Karmanos and Wayne State University, have paid tribute to the singer.
"She was extremely kind, she was respectful, she was funny - she treated people like me and my team members as her friends," Dr. Shah. told The Associated Press. "There is no phone call that would end without her asking about us... She was really down-to-earth."
Dr. Shah was one of the first doctors to treat the (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman singer following her 2010 diagnosis and added balancing her health with her career was a priority for the late diva.
"I think she had her priorities very clear in her mind... As far as I can see, she was able to live that dream, or her plan," she added.
Dr. Philip also honoured the "inspirational" star, adding: "She was hopeful, she was an optimist. This was kind of her attitude. She didn't let cancer cripple her.
"She lived her life as simply and beautifully and as full as possible every day. For us, it was such an inspiring journey of several years with her."
In tribute to Franklin, Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation CEO Elyse Gellerman has created the Aretha Franklin Fund for Neuroendocrine Cancer Research, with the blessing of the family. The project was announced this week.