Story highlights Her former publicist talked about Franklin's healthHe said she was too sick for her Christmas party last year(CNN) The pastor of the church Aretha Franklin's father served for years is drawing strength now from the singer's relationship with God. "She always put God, church, and her father first in her life," Pastor Robert Smith Jr. told CNN Thursday, before news of her death was announced. "No matter where she was, no matter what stage she was on, you're going to know about her church, you're going to know about her father, and you're going to know about her God." Smith presides over Detroit's New Bethel Baptist Church, which Franklin's father, the Rev. JUST WATCHED Aretha Franklin on her father's influence (2012) Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Aretha Franklin on her father's influence (2012) 00:35He said the singer never left the church and that she had been "trusting God all her life."

Source: CNN August 16, 2018 13:00 UTC