(Photo by Ben Alman)

Aretha Franklin was a daughter of Detroit, but D.C. loved her too. The Queen of Soul brought her powerhouse voice to some of the most iconic events in recent Washington history, from the first inaugurations of the last three Democratic presidents to the dedication of the long-awaited MLK Memorial.

Franklin died on Thursday at the age of 76. She had suffered from advanced pancreatic cancer.

Franklin racked up a string of awards and accolades over her decades-long career for hits like “Respect” and “Chain of Fools.” President George Bush awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. “Aretha will live forever for all of us,” said Deborah Rutter, the president of D.C.’s John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. “She is truly an immortal artist who we’ll love and respect forever.”

Here are some of Franklin’s more memorable performances in D.C.

Jan. 19, 1993 — President Bill Clinton’s Inauguration

The night before President Clinton’s first inauguration, Franklin sang “I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Misérables at the Presidential Gala at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Some called it a peculiar song choice (sample lyric: “But the tigers come at night / With their voices soft as thunder / As they tear your hopes apart / And they turn your dream to shame”), but who was listening to the lyrics, anyway? Franklin and her chorus transformed the song into an emotional, uplifting ballad.

Jan. 20, 2009 — President Barack Obama’s Inauguration

Franklin sang “My Country Tis of Thee” at President Obama’s first inauguration. It was a bitterly cold day, and Franklin later said she was upset with how the freezing weather affected her singing voice.

Music aside, it was Franklin’s rhinestone-studded grey felt hat that nearly stole the show. NPR reported that the hat made its creator, 36-year-old Luke Song, internationally famous. At the time of the inauguration, Franklin had been commissioning hats from Song for about two decades. The bow hat went on to become part of the Smithsonian’s collection, and it is ultimately destined for Obama’s presidential library in Chicago.

Oct. 16, 2011 — Dedication of the MLK Memorial

Franklin headlined the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in West Potomac Park. She sang “Precious Lord,” the same song she performed during King’s memorial service in 1968.

Franklin’s father, the Rev. C.L. Franklin, was a close friend of King’s. The Detroit pastor was known as the man with the “Million-Dollar Voice,” and he walked by King’s side during the historic Freedom March in Detroit in 1963.

Dec. 29, 2015 — Kennedy Center

Franklin was 73 years old when she brought a black-tie crowd at the Kennedy Center to its feet with her rendition of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” She was invited to the 38th Kennedy Center Honors to pay tribute to songwriter Carole King. Franklin won the prestigious award herself in 1994.

She came dressed to slay in full diva regalia: gown, diamond jewelry, bedazzled heels and a floor-length fur coat. She stood up midway through the performance and threw off the coat, and the crowd — which included President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama — completely lost it. The President pumped his fist and shed a few tears, the First Lady beamed and clapped, and King alternated between singing, screaming and wildly flapping her hands.

“It took the breath away from everybody in the room,” said Rutter, who was there that night. “It was so exhilarating. And that’s who she was.” The video quickly went viral on social media.

Jul. 29, 2017 — Wolf Trap

Franklin’s final performance in the Washington region was at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia last year. She put her piano skills on display with an understated rendition of “My Cup Runneth Over With Love.” No frills, no theatrics — just Aretha.

This story originally appeared on WAMU.