Aretha
Louise
Franklin
Born in Memphis, Shelby, Tennessee, United States
Ancestors 
Sister of
Vaughn Cavanaugh Franklin, Erma Venice (Franklin) Garrett, [private sister (1940s - unknown)] [half], Cecil Larone Franklin and Carolyn Franklin
Wife of
[private husband (1940s - unknown)]
Wife of
[private husband (1940s - unknown)]
Mother of
[private son (1950s - unknown)],
[private son (1950s - unknown)],
[private son (1960s - unknown)] and
[private son (1970s - unknown)]
Died
at age 76
in Bloomfield Hills, Oakland, Michigan, United States
Profile last modified
| Created 16 Aug 2018
This page has been accessed 7,978 times.
| Aretha Franklin is a part of US Black history. Join: US Black Heritage Project Discuss: black_heritage |
Contents |
Biography
Aretha Franklin is Notable.
Aretha Franklin, the "Queen of Soul," was known around the world for her distinctive voice and soulful music style. Widely considered the most influential female vocalist of the 1960s,[1] she was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[2][3][4]
Family
Aretha Franklin was a Tennessean.
Aretha Louise Franklin was born to Rev. Clarence LaVaughn "C.L." (Walker) Franklin and Barbara Vernice Siggers in Memphis, Tennessee on March 25th, 1942.[1][3] She had several siblings, including Cecil, Carolyn, and Erma Franklin, who later worked with her; some from both of her parents' prior relationships.[1][4]
Aretha Franklin was a Michigander.
While Aretha was very young, her family joined the Great Migration, settling first in Buffalo, New York, then in Detroit, Michigan. She began singing in her father's New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, where her father's "million dollar voice" made him a celebrity preacher, attracting many famous gospel singers to his church and their home.[1] But her parents divorced when she was 6, and her mother moved to Buffalo, New York.[3] She was able to remain close to her mother via summer vacations and her mother's frequent visits, but Barbara died of a heart attack before Aretha was ten. It was at this time that Aretha learned to play piano by ear.[1]
Aretha dropped out of high school after having her first child at age 13.[4] Her next was born at age 15.[4]
She married Ted White in 1961, but they divorced in 1969.[3][4] They had a son, Ted White Jr.[4]
Aretha was married to Glynn Turman in 1978.[4] They divorced in 1984.[4]
The mother of four sons,[1] Aretha loved her family fiercely and insisted they brought her the most joy in her life.[3]
Queen of Soul
Aretha began her singing career in her father's Baptist church singing gospel music.[3] She was taught to play piano by ear and often accompanied herself throughout her career.[1] She recorded her first gospel album, Spirituals, at 14.[3] With her father as her manager, Aretha signed to Columbia Records in 1960.[3] After a few years, she landed at Atlantic Records and her popularity took off.[3]
In the '80s Aretha signed with Arista Records and Clive Davis.[3] Many of the singles she put out during those years that ended up on the radio were collaborations with other artists across the musical spectrum.[3] She later moved to RCA.[4] Over her lifetime she had more than 100 singles on the Billboard charts, 17 of which were top 10 pop songs and 20 which were number 1 R&B hits.[4]
Legacy
Aretha was the recipient of numerous awards, including the highest US civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and 18 Grammy awards, as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994.[2][4] She was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was also honored as the Greatest Singer of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine.[2] She had honorary degrees from Yale, Princeton, and Harvard.[4]
Aretha was also an outspoken supporter of civil rights, touring with Martin Luther King, Jr at the age of 16.[3] She sang at his funeral in 1968.[1] Her cover of Otis Redding's "Respect" became an anthem of the civil rights and feminist movements.[3]
Aretha Franklin died on August 16th, 2018 in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan after years battling a type of pancreatic cancer.[1][5][3]
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Wikipedia contributors, "Aretha Franklin," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aretha_Franklin&oldid=1037940571 (accessed August 9, 2021).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Aretha Franklin Biography, www.arethafranklin.net, accessed 16 Aug 2018
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 Douglas Wolk and David Browne, "Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, Dies at 76", Rolling Stone Magazine (online), 16 Aug 2018
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 Jon Pareles, "Aretha Franklin, The 'Queen of Soul', Dead at 76", New York Times, online, 16 Aug 2018
- ↑ Elizabeth Chuck and Alex Johnson, (2018). Aretha Franklin, the undisputed Queen of Soul, dies at age 76. NBC News, Accessed 16 August 2018.
See also:
- "Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, dead at 76." CBC News, August 16, 2018.
- Mihalcik, Carrie; Kooser, Amanda, "Aretha Franklin, the queen of soul, dies at 76." C|Net News, August 16, 2018.
- Business and Financial News, Liberal News and Politics 22 April 2013 - search for Aretha
- News article from DailyMail.com
- Wikipedia: Aretha Franklin
- Wikidata: Item Q125121, en:Wikipedia
Sponsored Search
Is Aretha your relative? Please don't go away!
Login to collaborate or comment, or
contact
the profile manager, or
ask our community of genealogists a question.
Login to collaborate or comment, or contact
the profile manager, or ask our community of genealogists a question.
Sponsored Search by Ancestry.com
DNA
No known carriers of Aretha's DNA have taken a DNA test.
No known carriers of Aretha's DNA have taken a DNA test.
Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.
- Which 1960's Musician are you most closely connected to? Aug 9, 2021.
- Help us find and improve next week's Connection Finder profiles: Popular Sixties Musicians Aug 2, 2021.
- The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, has passed away. Can you help connect her to our family tree? Aug 16, 2018.
- Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, has died at age 76. Aug 16, 2018.
Rejected matches › Aretha Franklin
Aretha is 37 degrees from Isaac Asimov, 43 degrees from David Attenborough, 38 degrees from Bill Bryson, 41 degrees from Richard Dawkins, 50 degrees from Bengt Feldreich, 49 degrees from Ruth Gates, 43 degrees from Stephen Hawking, 49 degrees from Julius Miller, 38 degrees from Bill Nye, 47 degrees from Magnus Pyke, 45 degrees from Carl Sagan and 36 degrees from David Randall on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
F > Franklin > Aretha Louise Franklin
Categories: Pianists | Featured Musicians | American Female Singer-Songwriters | This Day In History March 25 | This Day In History August 16 | Bloomfield Hills, Michigan | Famous Musicians of the 20th Century | Grammy Award Winners of the 20th Century | Memphis, Tennessee | Musicians | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | Songwriters | Recording Artists | Example Profiles of the Week | US Black Heritage Project Managed Profiles | African-American Notables | Notables
We are featuring this profile in the Connection Finder this week. Between now and Wednesday is a good time to take a look at the sources and biography to see if there are updates and improvements that need made, especially those that will bring it up to WikiTree Style Guide standards. We know it's short notice, so don't fret too much. Just do what you can.
Thanks!
Abby