The 'Queen of Soul' is also being remembered as the 'Queen of the Opera'

Aretha Franklin may have been the "Queen of Soul," but she had a second love — opera.

The legendary soul singer died on Thursday from complications of pancreatic cancer. She was 76.

• Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, dead at 76
• Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin remembered in her hometown as a 'regular Detroiter'

Franklin made her operatic debut during the 1998 Grammy Awards. Luciano Pavarotti was expected to perform that evening, but told organizers he was unable to sing.

With 30 minutes notice, the songstress known for Respect and (You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman, stepped up to the mic and performed a rendition of Nessun Dorma. The audience was stunned.

Mary Callaghan Lynch is an operatic vocal coach with the Motor City Lyric Company and prepared Franklin for that performance.

She shared her memories of the Queen of Opera with Day 6 guest host Gill Deacon. Here's part of their conversation.

Gill Deacon: Tell me what you think, what you feel, when you hear that recording of Aretha Franklin ... singing Nessun Dorma at the Grammys in 1998?

Mary Callaghan Lynch: I think absolute joy and pride because when I coached her on it, it was for a private party for Pavarotti, so I didn't actually get to hear her do it in performance, just in rehearsal.

And then when I happened to be watching the Grammys, and I didn't even know that she was going to go on, but it truly was — we spoke later — a 30 minute heads up and no rehearsal.

So, I was like, 'Okay who does that?' Oh yeah, that would be Aretha Franklin. She's such a fierce performer and a fierce person and really fearless.

GD: I have to say it's so funny to hear you spent time with her as her opera vocal coach. What's it like to be the teacher of one of the greatest singers on the planet?

MCL: What's funny is when people say, 'Oh, you're Aretha's teacher,' I go, 'Oh no. No one teaches Aretha Franklin how to sing.' What I did was coach her on her operatic repertoire.

When I got the call I didn't have time, really, to be thinking, 'Oh my god, I have to work with Aretha Franklin.' So it was great. Pretty formal at the beginning and at the end of that first hour I candidly feel we both felt very comfortable with each other.

GD: What was she like as a student?

MCL: The truth is she was like a sponge and she was extraordinary. I would sing a couple of measures, she'd repeat it. If anything, we worked on the Italian. It was an absolute delight.

I thought that would be it, but then Aretha had requests after the Grammy awards all over to sing with orchestras. So she called and said, 'Mary, I think we have to add some songs.' And I said, 'Yes let's expand your repertoire.' And we did.

I was always so grateful and very humbled to have any relationship with her. Even now it's astounding to me that I had such an incredible opportunity and I'd like to think a really beautiful friendship.

GD: Beyond taking opera lessons from you, tell me what role she played in the Motor City Opera Company?

MCL: This is really amazing because, as you can imagine that I was reticent, but I called her and I said, 'I have a favour to ask.' I explained what we were doing — that we wanted to bring the art form of opera to the inner city kids of Detroit, free of charge — and I just said I would be so thrilled if you could give your endorsement.

She called me the next day and she said, 'You know, I've thought about it. You know I love opera. You know I love children. And you know I love the city of Detroit.' So, she said yes.

And, of course, that catapulted us. At least it really put us on the map and I think that's one thing I really would like to say about Aretha, how generous Aretha was.

GD: Is there one memory that really stands out for you as you look back at Aretha Franklin and her life and her legacy?

MCL: I would travel with her, and she received an award at the Smithsonian Institute of Arts in Washington, D.C., and there were a lot of incredible recipients and it was a very elegant, sort of staid event.

She was the last one and she came out and it completely went from staid to 'let's party.' In fact she came out and said, 'Are you ready to party? It's such a memory because I thought 'Wow,' and everybody — I mean everybody — all the staid, whomever, people got up. Everyone in their tuxedos and in their gowns and they were dancing to her.

Immediately the room was aflame with her fire and ... I'll never forget it because it was like on a dime. All of sudden it changed, She changed.

GD: She knew how to bring the party?

MCL: She did, she was so charismatic. And then probably the most touching thing was she called me three and a half weeks ago and wanted to work on a German aria.

I was going out the door and I got a text saying, 'Mary, I'm sorry, I have to cancel but I'll see you again.' And I never saw her again.

Even failing health she wanted to learn, you know. It's pretty amazing when you think about it.

To hear the interview with Mary Callaghan Lynch, download our podcast or click listen above.