Franklin, spending summers with their mother until Mrs. Franklin died in 1952. 13 on the pop charts and No. In the midst of the recording sessions, White quarreled with a member of the band, and White and Franklin left abruptly. From that first session, “Today I Sing the Blues” (1960) remains a classic. Featuring the single "Freeway of Love," as well as a collaboration with the popular rock band The Eurythmics, the record became Franklin's biggest-selling album yet. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aretha-Franklin, African American Registry - Biography of Aretha Franklin, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Biography of Aretha Franklin, Aretha Franklin - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Aretha Franklin - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), See an exhibit on Aretha Franklin, and the Janis Joplin's famous psychedelic 1965 Porsche at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. In 1960 she moved to New York City to pursue a career in secular music. Omissions? She counted Darlene Love as her godmother and was also introduced to the “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin, as a child. Amazing Grace (1972), a live recording of her performance with a choir at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, is considered one of the great gospel albums of any era. Here’s more via Soul Tracks: ... Mo’Kelly Pays Tribute to Aretha Franklin in Song (AUDIO) Her new label released 1982's Jump To It, an album that enjoyed huge success on the R&B charts and earned Franklin a Grammy nomination. The Queen of Soul died at her home in Detroit on August 16 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. An exhibit on Aretha Franklin's career and Janis Joplin's Porsche 356C were among the offerings at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2011. Franklin's success continued throughout the 1970s, as she branched out to work with producers such as Curtis Mayfield and Quincy Jones and expanded her repertoire to include rock and pop covers. Princess Diana died when Harry was just 12 years old Read More ... Sean Connery died on Oct. 31 at age 90 ... Jennifer Hudson's Aretha Franklin Biopic Respect Delayed by Another Seven Months. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Performing "Think'' alongside comedians John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd exposed her to a new generation of R&B lovers, and she soon signed to Arista Records. Franklin, presided over the New Bethel Baptist Church of Detroit , Michigan , and was a minister of national influence. Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of the United States, signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, prompting a bloody conflict over Kansas' slavery status. Franklin's musical gifts became apparent at an early age. Along the way, she took home eight consecutive Grammy Awards for Best R&B Female Vocal Performance, the last coming for her 1974 single "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing.". For the next half-dozen years, she became a hit maker of unprecedented proportions; she was “Lady Soul.”. Aretha Franklin Because hers is a title well-earned: ... her cells are saving lives today even though she died in 1951. Franklin was her father. That wouldn’t be good either.”. While her album sales in the 1990s and 2000s failed to approach the numbers of previous decades, Franklin remained the Queen of Soul. Saunders died today (02-04-21) after long battles with M.S. That same year, she released the album One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, which won the Grammy for Best Soul Gospel Performance. But as the single became a massive Top 10 hit, Franklin re-emerged in New York and was able to complete the partially recorded track, "Do Right Woman—Do Right Man.". A reluctant interviewee, Franklin kept her private life private, claiming that the popular perception associating her with the unhappiness of singers Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday was misinformed. I’ll be pretty much satisfied, but I’m not going to go anywhere and just sit down and do nothing. Quick Facts Name Aretha Franklin Birth Date March 25, 1942 Death Date August 16, 2018 Did You Know? In 1966 she and her new husband and manager, Ted White, decided a move was in order, and Franklin signed to Atlantic. A public viewing was held later that month at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, with fans camping out overnight for the chance to pay their respects to the iconic singer. “I must tell you, I am retiring this year," she said in the interview, adding: "I feel very, very enriched and satisfied with respect to where my career came from and where it is now. Aretha Franklin soothed us her smooth crooning and shook us to our core with the same voice. But while Franklin enjoyed moderate results with her recordings over the next few years, they failed to fully showcase her immense talent. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The documentary Amazing Grace, which chronicles her recording of the 1972 album, premiered in 2018. She ranked #1 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll, sang for President Obama... and those are two of the many awesome things she did! But this did not slow Franklin's steady rise, and the new decade brought more hit singles, including "Don't Play That Song," "Spanish Harlem" and her cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Waters.". In 1987 Franklin became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With Aretha Franklin, who I played on the TV series “Genius: Aretha,” that story was pressure-filled. Widely regarded as one of, usually the best, female vocalists of all time, she is nicknamed the 'Queen of Soul' or simply referred to as 'Aretha'. Without targeting any particular genre, she sang everything from Broadway ballads to youth-oriented rhythm and blues. Columbia placed her with a variety of producers who marketed her to both adults (“If Ever You Should Leave Me,” 1963) and teens (“Soulville,” 1964). As a young teen, Franklin performed with her father on his gospel programs in major cities throughout the country and was recognized as a vocal prodigy. 1 on the pop charts. In 1987 Franklin became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Detroit. Franklin had dozens of hits over a half-century and her signature song, “Respect,” has stood as a cultural icon. The 76-year-old legend passed in 2018 from complications related to the illness. When Mark died in 1969, his 16-year-old son, nicknamed 'CM', took over the business alongside his mother, renaming it Murphy Media Academy (MMA) and pivoting it to book tours for rock acts. Aretha Franklin. You don’t get to realize how much work she did from the age of 26 to 91. Franklin died in 2018 at 76 years old following a battle with … Critics recognized her talent, but the public remained lukewarm until 1966, when she switched to Atlantic Records, where producer Jerry Wexler allowed her to sculpt her own musical identity. After being pushed back several times, Respect will be released on August 13, 2021. At age 18, with her father’s blessing, Franklin switched from sacred to secular music. Franklin, presided over the New Bethel Baptist Church of Detroit, Michigan, and was a minister of national influence. They married upon her release. ", Lesley Gore was a singer-songwriter known for her 1963 smash single "It's My Party." After a brief hiatus, Franklin returned to performing and followed heroes such as Cooke and Dinah Washington into pop and blues territory. Franklin went on to release several popular singles, many of which are now considered classics. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Her father, C.L. She also performed with C. L.'s traveling revival show and, while on tour, befriended gospel greats such as Mahalia Jackson, Sam Cooke and Clara Ward. Backed by the legendary Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Franklin recorded the single "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)." Following another relatively quiet period in her career, in 1993, Franklin was invited to sing at the inauguration of Bill Clinton, and the following year she received both a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and Kennedy Center Honors. Her mother died when Aretha was 10. Her most famous songs include “Respect” (1967), “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968), “Chain of Fools” (1967), and “Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)” (1973). As a teen, Aretha Franklin sang in a junior gospel choir. Nearing its conclusion, Franklin reprised her former role in Blues Brothers 2000, released the gold-selling "A Rose Is Still a Rose" and stood in for Luciano Pavarotti, who was too ill to accept his Lifetime Achievement Award, with her rendition of "Nessun Dorma" commanding stellar reviews. We grew up with her. But, as her Detroit friends on the Motown label enjoyed hit after hit, Franklin struggled to achieve crossover success. “I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You)” (1967), recorded at Fame Studios in Florence, Alabama, was her first million-seller. She moved to New York City, where Columbia Records executive John Hammond, who had signed Count Basie and Billie Holiday, arranged her recording contract and supervised sessions highlighting her in a blues-jazz vein. As a civil-rights-minded nation lent greater support to black urban music, Franklin was crowned the “Queen of Soul.” “Respect,” her 1967 cover of Otis Redding’s spirited composition, became an anthem operating on personal, sexual, and racial levels. Aretha Franklin was in the music business for nearly 60 years. Two years later, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and became the second woman ever to be inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame. Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal led the nation through the Great Depression. Later that year, she was also selected to sing the national anthem to begin the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. However, a cameo in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers helped Franklin revive her flagging career. Cesaria Evora (1941-2011), a.k.a the Barefoot Diva, was a very nice old lady and world-renowned Morna singer, and was not even known by the general public until she … "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. Jazz and blues vocalist Bessie Smith's powerful, soulful voice won her countless fans and earned her the title "Empress of the Blues. Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born into a musical family on 9 August 1963, in Newark, New Jersey, the daughter of gospel star Cissy Houston, cousin of singing star Dionne Warwick and goddaughter of soul legend Aretha Franklin. She did, however, find a brief respite from slumping sales with the 1976 soundtrack to the Warner Brothers film Sparkle — which topped the R&B charts and made the Top 20 in pop — as well as an invitation to perform at the 1977 presidential inauguration of Jimmy Carter. Producer Jerry Wexler immediately shuttled Franklin to the Florence Alabama Musical Emporium (FAME) recording studios. In 1960, with her father's blessing, Franklin traveled to New York, where after being courted by several labels, including Motown and RCA, she signed with Columbia Records, who released the album Aretha in 1961. She also had Top 10 hits with "Baby I Love You,'' "Think," "Chain of Fools,'' "I Say a Little Prayer," "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.". The Franklins separated and the children lived with Rev. She released a gospel album, The Gospel Sound of Aretha Franklin, in 1956, at age 14. Two years later, she endured a divorce from Turman as well as the death of her father. The same year, her father was hospitalized after a burglary attempt in his home left him in a coma. ", Multiple Grammy winner and "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin was known for such hits as "Respect," "Freeway of Love" and "I Say a Little Prayer.". In 1987 she was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Performer). Franklin’s mother, Barbara, was a gospel singer and pianist. But in 1982, with help from singer-songwriter-producer Luther Vandross, she was back on top with a new label, Arista, and a new dance hit, “Jump to It,” followed by “Freeway of Love” (1985). Her televised funeral was set to be held at the city's Greater Grace Temple on August 31, with Wonder, Khan and Hudson among the scheduled performers, and Jackson, Clinton and Smokey Robinson highlighting the list of speakers. A gifted singer and pianist, Aretha Franklin toured with her father's traveling revival show and later visited New York, where she signed with Columbia Records. In addition, she received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1994, a National Medal of Arts in 1999, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. https://www.biography.com/musician/aretha-franklin. She would also be the focus of multiple documentaries and tributes as the decade progressed. As her popularity waned and her father's health declined, Franklin was also saddled with a massive bill from the IRS. She tried to say no to wearing a terrifically large hat to Aretha Franklin’s 2018 funeral, only to be overruled by her designer. Surrounded by sympathetic musicians playing spontaneous arrangements and devising the background vocals herself, Franklin refined a style associated with Ray Charles—a rousing mixture of gospel and rhythm and blues—and raised it to new heights. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. She was 76. Her father, C.L. A second child, Edward, followed two years later — with both sons taking her family's name. A public memorial service for Michael Jackson was held on July 7, 2009 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, twelve days after his death.The event was preceded by a private family service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park's Hall of Liberty in Hollywood Hills, and followed by a gathering in Beverly Hills for Jackson's family … But by 1975, Franklin's sound was fading into the background with the onset of the disco craze, and an emerging set of young Black singers, such as Chaka Khan and Donna Summer, began to eclipse Franklin's career. Aretha Franklin was an American singer, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Not just because the world knows who she is, but she’s a hero of mine. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. C.L. In 2014 Franklin underscored that point with Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics, which reached No. Her parents separated when she was six, and Franklin remained with her father in Detroit. A singer himself, he was noted for his brilliant sermons, many of which were recorded by Chess Records. Corrections? She was 76 years old. She was 76. To support the project, she performed several concerts, including a two-night stint at the famed Radio City Music Hall in New York. She came around, telling the AP she thought of the hat as homage to Franklin’s appearance at Obama’s inauguration. 37 on the pop charts. Franklin died of pancreatic cancer at her home in Detroit in 2018. Guided by C. L.'s preaching assignments, the family relocated to Detroit, Michigan. © 2021 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. In 1985 Franklin returned to the top of the charts with a smash-hit album: the polished pop record Who's Zoomin' Who? Over 75 million copies of her albums have been sold. Though two tracks from Aretha would make the R&B Top 10, a bigger success came that same year with the single "Rock-a-bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody," which crossed over to No. READ MORE: 5 Fascinating Facts About Aretha Franklin. Spurred by Mahalia Jackson's passing and a subsequent resurgence of interest in gospel music, Franklin returned to her musical origins for the 1972 album Amazing Grace, which sold more than 2 million copies and went on to become the best-selling gospel album at the time. She signed with Columbia Records in New York and released her first single, “Today I Sing the Blues,” in 1960. Although she was born in Memphis, Tennessee, Aretha Franklin spent most of her early years in Detroit, Michigan, with her mother, a gospel singer, and her father, a Baptist minister. Her follow-up, 1986's Aretha, also charted well and eventually went gold, and her duet with British singer George Michael, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),'' hit No. Her enormous discography includes 38 studio albums and 6 live albums. In January 2018, it was announced that Franklin hand-picked singer and actress Jennifer Hudson to play her in an upcoming biopic. Aretha Franklin, in full Aretha Louise Franklin, (born March 25, 1942, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.—died August 16, 2018, Detroit, Michigan), American singer who defined the golden age of soul music of the 1960s. As news of her condition spread, more luminaries paid a visit to express their well wishes, including Wonder and Jesse Jackson. In the early 1970s she triumphed at the Fillmore West in San Francisco before an audience of flower children and on whirlwind tours of Europe and Latin America. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Largely self-taught, she was regarded as a child prodigy. A gifted pianist with a powerful voice, Franklin got her start singing in front of her father's congregation. She won 18 Grammy awards and, in 1987, became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. By the late 1970s disco cramped Franklin’s style and eroded her popularity. Franklin’s mother, Barbara, was a gospel singer and pianist. 1 on both the R&B and pop charts and won Franklin her first two Grammy Awards. Benjamin Franklin is best known as one of the Founding Fathers who never served as president but was a respected inventor, publisher, scientist and diplomat. Elected to four terms, his presidency helped ensure victory in World War II. “Think” (1968), which Franklin wrote herself, also had more than one meaning. Amidst this newfound success, Franklin experienced upheaval in her personal life, and she and White divorced in 1969. Her album The Gospel Sound of Aretha Franklin (1956) captures the electricity of her performances as a 14-year-old. Season 3 of the Emmy-nominated series promises to "explore Aretha Franklin's musical genius and incomparable career, as well as the immeasurable impact and lasting influence she has had on music and culture around the world," according to the network. Franklin's chart dominance soon earned her the title Queen of Soul, while at the same time she also became a symbol of Black empowerment during the civil rights movement. In 2003 Franklin released her final studio album on Arista, So Damn Happy, and left the label to found Aretha Records. Other gospel greats of the day—Albertina Walker and Jackie Verdell—helped shape young Franklin’s style. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. and, more recently, lung cancer. ... She was 82 years old. Aretha was born in Detroit in 1942, and she is the daughter of a preacher man. In 2009 she electrified a crowd of more than one million with her performance of “My Country ’Tis of Thee” at the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama, and her rendition of Carole King’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” during the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony in 2015 was no less breathtaking. Get up to the minute entertainment news, celebrity interviews, celeb videos, photos, movies, TV, music news and pop culture on ABCNews.com. With fans and critics alike impressed with her performances, she successfully proved that the Queen of Soul still reigned supreme. She was one of the most successful American singers of all time and the first ever wo… Aretha Franklin was just 18 when she signed a major deal with Columbia Records in 1960. Four days later, on the morning of August 16, Franklin succumbed to her illness, which her family revealed to be pancreatic cancer. On August 12, 2018, it was reported that a "gravely ill" Franklin was bedridden in her Detroit home, surrounded by family and friends. Jackson Odell, 20 … Her central influence, Clara Ward of the renowned Ward Singers, was a family friend. Franklin's parents separated by the time she was six, and four years later her mother succumbed to a heart attack. The fourth of five children, Aretha Louise Franklin was born on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Baptist preacher Reverend Clarence La Vaughan "C. L." Franklin and Barbara Siggers Franklin, a gospel singer. C. L. eventually landed at New Bethel Baptist Church, where he gained national renown as a preacher. ... She was 88 years old when she died last year. In some history books, she doesn’t exist. With 18 Grammys under her belt, Franklin is one of the most honored artists in Grammy history, ranked among the likes of Alison Krauss, Adele and Beyoncé Knowles. The iconic musician passed away at her home in Detroit following a long battle with a pancreatic tumor. At Atlantic, Franklin returned to her gospel-blues roots, and the results were sensational. British chemist Rosalind Franklin is best known for her role in the discovery of the structure of DNA, and for her pioneering use of X-ray diffraction. A string of chart failures ended Franklin's relationship with Atlantic in 1979. In 1987 she became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2008 she won her 18th Grammy Award, making her one of the most honored artists in Grammy history. In 1960 Franklin transitioned from sacred to secular music. By the age of 14, she had recorded some of her earliest tracks at his church, which were released by a small label as the album Songs of Faith in 1956. On July 6, Mary Kay Letourneau died of cancer at the age of 58. But life on the road also exposed Franklin to adult behaviors, and at the age of 14, she became a mother for the first time with a son, Clarence. James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul," was a prolific singer, songwriter and bandleader, as well as one of the most iconic figures in funk and soul music. After her parents separated, Franklin remained with her father in Detroit. She sang in the church. In 2008 she received her 18th Grammy Award for "Never Gonna Break My Faith" — a collaboration with Mary J. Blige — and was tapped to sing at the 2009 presidential inauguration of Barack Obama. The daughter of Emily (“Cissy”) Houston—whose vocal group, the Sweet Inspirations, sang backup for Aretha Franklin—and the cousin of singer Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston began singing in church as a child. Hitting her stride in 1967 and 1968, Franklin churned out a string of hit singles that would become enduring classics, showcasing Franklin's powerful voice and gospel roots in a pop framework. In 1968 Franklin was enlisted to perform at the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during which she paid tribute to her father's fallen friend with a heartfelt rendition of "Precious Lord." Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, died at 76 in August 2018. At age 19 she … Soul singer Dionne Warwick became a superstar with early hits like "Walk On By" and "I Say a Little Prayer," and later with albums like 'Dionne and Heartbreaker. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! THE Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin passed away earlier this year, in August 2018 aged 76 from pancreatic cancer. Barbara died of a heart attack in 1952; Carolyn, her sisters, Erma and Aretha, and her brother, Cecil, were raised primarily by their father. In February 2017, the 74-year-old Queen of Soul told Detroit radio station WDIV Local 4 that she was collaborating with Stevie Wonder to release a new album. Updates? According to her lawyer, her ex-husband Vili Fualaau was by her side. Aretha Franklin died of advanced pancreatic cancer on August 16, 2018, in Detroit, Michigan. In 2005 Franklin received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for revolutionizing music and “helping to shape our Nation’s artistic and cultural heritage.” Today she is widely considered the “Queen of Soul.”. Died: 16 August 2018 in Detroit, Michigan, USA (age 76). Acclaimed singers Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick were her cousins. Erma – older sister of Aretha – Franklin was the first singer to record this classic heartbreaker, back in 1967. Gore also scored hits with "Maybe I Know" and "You Don't Own Me. In 2011 Franklin released her first album on her own label, A Woman Falling Out of Love. ', Grammy-winner Tina Turner rose to fame in the 1960s by singing and performing with then-husband Ike Turner, later enjoying an international solo career with hits like "What's Love Got to Do With It.". But most didn’t know what she was truly struggling with behind closed doors: pancreatic cancer. The hat would become a viral highlight. Aretha Franklin died of advanced pancreatic cancer on August 16, 2018, in Detroit, Michigan. While still in high school, she sang backup for Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls and modeled for fashion magazines.