Aretha Franklin. https://www.biography.com/musician/aretha-franklin. She won 18 Grammy awards and, in 1987, became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 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. 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.". 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 … After her parents separated, 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. “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. 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. 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. Quick Facts Name Aretha Franklin Birth Date March 25, 1942 Death Date August 16, 2018 Did You Know? 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. Aretha Franklin was just 18 when she signed a major deal with Columbia Records in 1960. But most didn’t know what she was truly struggling with behind closed doors: pancreatic cancer. Here are 50 stars who died in 2018, including rapper Mac Miller, soul legend Aretha Franklin, and former Marvel president Stan Lee. She was 76. 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). 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 … Saunders died today (02-04-21) after long battles with M.S. 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. 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. Franklin died of pancreatic cancer at her home in Detroit in 2018. 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. Producer Jerry Wexler immediately shuttled Franklin to the Florence Alabama Musical Emporium (FAME) recording studios. A string of chart failures ended Franklin's relationship with Atlantic in 1979. 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. 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. 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. The same year, her father was hospitalized after a burglary attempt in his home left him in a coma. In 1960 she moved to New York City to pursue a career in secular music. Amidst this newfound success, Franklin experienced upheaval in her personal life, and she and White divorced in 1969. Franklin, spending summers with their mother until Mrs. Franklin died in 1952. Corrections? Her enormous discography includes 38 studio albums and 6 live albums. Franklin went on to release several popular singles, many of which are now considered classics. In January 2018, it was announced that Franklin hand-picked singer and actress Jennifer Hudson to play her in an upcoming biopic. I’ll be pretty much satisfied, but I’m not going to go anywhere and just sit down and do nothing. Franklin was her 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. ... She was 88 years old when she died last year. Aretha Franklin died of advanced pancreatic cancer on August 16, 2018, in Detroit, Michigan. But, as her Detroit friends on the Motown label enjoyed hit after hit, Franklin struggled to achieve crossover success. In 2011 Franklin released her first album on her own label, A Woman Falling Out of Love. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Franklin died in 2018 at 76 years old following a battle with … In 1966 she and her new husband and manager, Ted White, decided a move was in order, and Franklin signed to Atlantic. However, a cameo in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers helped Franklin revive her flagging career. 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. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Aretha Franklin Because hers is a title well-earned: ... her cells are saving lives today even though she died in 1951. She was one of the most successful American singers of all time and the first ever wo… © 2021 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. 3 R&B. 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. Aretha Franklin was in the music business for nearly 60 years. Two years later, she endured a divorce from Turman as well as the death of her father. 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. That wouldn’t be good either.”. 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. Over 75 million copies of her albums have been sold. In 1960 Franklin transitioned from sacred to secular music. Women's Hall of Fame Honors Aretha Franklin, Morrison, Lacks ... Franklin died of pancreatic cancer at her home in Detroit in 2018. 13 on the pop charts and No. Barbara died of a heart attack in 1952; Carolyn, her sisters, Erma and Aretha, and her brother, Cecil, were raised primarily by their father. Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal led the nation through the Great Depression. She sang in the church. 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. Other gospel greats of the day—Albertina Walker and Jackie Verdell—helped shape young Franklin’s style. THE Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin passed away earlier this year, in August 2018 aged 76 from pancreatic cancer. Franklin had dozens of hits over a half-century and her signature song, “Respect,” has stood as a cultural icon. Her parents separated when she was six, and Franklin remained with her father in Detroit. Get up to the minute entertainment news, celebrity interviews, celeb videos, photos, movies, TV, music news and pop culture on ABCNews.com. Aretha Franklin was an American singer, songwriter, and civil rights activist. On August 12, 2018, it was reported that a "gravely ill" Franklin was bedridden in her Detroit home, surrounded by family and friends. We grew up with her. In some history books, she doesn’t exist. 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. 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). She signed with Columbia Records in New York and released her first single, “Today I Sing the Blues,” in 1960. Here’s more via Soul Tracks: ... Mo’Kelly Pays Tribute to Aretha Franklin in Song (AUDIO) Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). ", 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.". 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. She came around, telling the AP she thought of the hat as homage to Franklin’s appearance at Obama’s inauguration. Franklin’s mother, Barbara, was a gospel singer and pianist. 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. In 2003 Franklin released her final studio album on Arista, So Damn Happy, and left the label to found Aretha Records. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Erma – older sister of Aretha – Franklin was the first singer to record this classic heartbreaker, back in 1967. 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. Letourneau was a Seattle elementary school teacher who went to prison for sexually assaulting Fualaau, then her 12-year-old student. Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, died at 76 in August 2018. At age 18, with her father’s blessing, Franklin switched from sacred to secular music. Her mother died when Aretha was 10. 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. 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. In 1978 she also married actor Glynn Turman. Aretha was born in Detroit in 1942, and she is the daughter of a preacher man. “Think” (1968), which Franklin wrote herself, also had more than one meaning. 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. Backed by the legendary Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Franklin recorded the single "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)." After a brief hiatus, Franklin returned to performing and followed heroes such as Cooke and Dinah Washington into pop and blues territory. 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. But while Franklin enjoyed moderate results with her recordings over the next few years, they failed to fully showcase her immense talent. 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 released a gospel album, The Gospel Sound of Aretha Franklin, in 1956, at age 14. “I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You)” (1967), recorded at Fame Studios in Florence, Alabama, was her first million-seller. To support the project, she performed several concerts, including a two-night stint at the famed Radio City Music Hall in New York. In 1987 Franklin became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Later that year, she was also selected to sing the national anthem to begin the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Elected to four terms, his presidency helped ensure victory in World War II. She tried to say no to wearing a terrifically large hat to Aretha Franklin’s 2018 funeral, only to be overruled by her designer. Omissions? 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. 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. They married upon her release. Acclaimed singers Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick were her cousins. 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. Her album The Gospel Sound of Aretha Franklin (1956) captures the electricity of her performances as a 14-year-old. 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. Without targeting any particular genre, she sang everything from Broadway ballads to youth-oriented rhythm and blues. Gore also scored hits with "Maybe I Know" and "You Don't Own Me. C. L. eventually landed at New Bethel Baptist Church, where he gained national renown as a preacher. With fans and critics alike impressed with her performances, she successfully proved that the Queen of Soul still reigned supreme. C.L. As a teen, Aretha Franklin sang in a junior gospel choir. Updates? 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. 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. Clarence Franklin, Aretha Franklin’s eldest son, was born when Franklin was just 12-years-old, on March 28, 1956. 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. Her father, C.L. According to her lawyer, her ex-husband Vili Fualaau was by her side. On July 6, Mary Kay Letourneau died of cancer at the age of 58. In the midst of the recording sessions, White quarreled with a member of the band, and White and Franklin left abruptly. The hat would become a viral highlight. In 1987 she was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Performer). 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. 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.". At age 19 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. 37 on the pop charts. 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. Jackson Odell, 20 … While her album sales in the 1990s and 2000s failed to approach the numbers of previous decades, Franklin remained the Queen of Soul. Franklin's parents separated by the time she was six, and four years later her mother succumbed to a heart attack. From that first session, “Today I Sing the Blues” (1960) remains a classic. Her central influence, Clara Ward of the renowned Ward Singers, was a family friend. Aretha Franklin died of advanced pancreatic cancer on August 16, 2018, in Detroit, Michigan. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. 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! 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.”. While still in high school, she sang backup for Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls and modeled for fashion magazines. A gifted pianist with a powerful voice, Franklin got her start singing in front of her father's congregation. 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. 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. 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'. Franklin would later have two more sons: Ted White, Jr. and Kecalf Cunningham. 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. Four days later, on the morning of August 16, Franklin succumbed to her illness, which her family revealed to be pancreatic cancer. 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. She counted Darlene Love as her godmother and was also introduced to the “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin, as a child. At Atlantic, Franklin returned to her gospel-blues roots, and the results were sensational. Died: 16 August 2018 in Detroit, Michigan, USA (age 76). After being pushed back several times, Respect will be released on August 13, 2021. ", Lesley Gore was a singer-songwriter known for her 1963 smash single "It's My Party." She would also be the focus of multiple documentaries and tributes as the decade progressed. 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. That same year, she released the album One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, which won the Grammy for Best Soul Gospel Performance. With Aretha Franklin, who I played on the TV series “Genius: Aretha,” that story was pressure-filled. 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. The documentary Amazing Grace, which chronicles her recording of the 1972 album, premiered in 2018. Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of the United States, signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, prompting a bloody conflict over Kansas' slavery status. Aretha Franklin soothed us her smooth crooning and shook us to our core with the same voice. Franklin, presided over the New Bethel Baptist Church of Detroit , Michigan , and was a minister of national influence. Her father, C.L. Franklin’s mother, Barbara, was a gospel singer and pianist. 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.". 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. Largely self-taught, she was regarded as a child prodigy. READ MORE: 5 Fascinating Facts About Aretha Franklin. ', 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.".