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Aretha Franklin

"Aretha" and "Queen of Soul" redirect here. For other uses, see Aretha (disambiguation) and Queen of Soul (disambiguation).

Aretha Franklin
Franklin, with a lacy white dress and perfectly coiffed hair, rests her chin on her index finger and poses, looking straight into the camera.
Franklin in 1968
Born
Aretha Louise Franklin

(1942-03-25)March 25, 1942
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedAugust 16, 2018(2018-08-16) (aged 76)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Resting placeWoodlawn Cemetery, Detroit
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • pianist
  • civil rights activist
  • record producer
Years active1954–2017
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1961; div. 1969)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1978; div. 1984)​
Children4
Parents
Relatives
AwardsFull list
Musical career
OriginDetroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
DiscographyAretha Franklin discography
Labels
Websitewww.arethafranklin.net
Signature

Aretha Louise Franklin (/əˈriːθə/ ə-REE-thə; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist.[2] Honored as the "Queen of Soul", she was twice named by Rolling Stone magazine as the greatest singer of all time.[3][4]

As a child, Franklin was noticed for her gospel singing at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father C. L. Franklin was a minister. At the age of 18, she was signed as a recording artist for Columbia Records. While her career did not immediately flourish, Franklin found acclaim and commercial success once she signed with Atlantic Records in 1966. She recorded albums such as I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967), Lady Soul (1968), Spirit in the Dark (1970), Young, Gifted and Black (1972), Amazing Grace (1972), and Sparkle (1976), before experiencing problems with the record company. Franklin left Atlantic in 1979 and signed with Arista Records. Her success continued with the albums Jump to It (1982), Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985), Aretha (1986) and A Rose Is Still a Rose (1998).

Franklin is one of the best-selling music artists, with more than 75 million records sold worldwide.[5] She recorded 112 charted singles on the US Billboard charts, including 73 Hot 100 entries, 17 top-ten pop singles, 96 R&B entries[6] and 20 number-one R&B singles. Her best-known hits include "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)", "Respect", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", "Chain of Fools", "Think", "I Say a Little Prayer", "Ain't No Way", "Call Me", "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)", "Spanish Harlem", "Rock Steady", "Day Dreaming", "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)", "Something He Can Feel", "Jump to It", "Freeway of Love", "Who's Zoomin' Who", "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (a duet with George Michael) and "A Rose Is Still a Rose". Aside from music, she appeared in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers.

Franklin received numerous honors throughout her career. She won 18 Grammy Awards (out of 44 nominations),[7][8] including the first eight awards given for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (1968–1975), a Grammy Awards Living Legend honor and Lifetime Achievement Award. She was also awarded the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1987, she became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her other inductions include the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012,[9] and posthumously the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2020.[10] In 2019, the Pulitzer Prize jury awarded her a posthumous special citation "for her indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades".

  1. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Aretha Franklin | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  2. ^ Farber, Jim (August 16, 2018). "Aretha Franklin's 20 Essential Songs". The New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  3. ^ "100 Greatest Singers: Aretha Franklin". Rolling Stone. December 3, 2010. Archived from the original on November 27, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  4. ^ "The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time". Rolling Stone. January 1, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  5. ^ Martin, Nik (August 13, 2018). "Aretha Franklin, 'Queen of Soul,' gravely ill: report". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  6. ^ "Aretha Franklin Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  7. ^ "Aretha Franklin". Grammy Awards. March 17, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  8. ^ "Quick Facts about Aretha Franklin". theneighborhoods.org. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  9. ^ Paulson, David (August 15, 2012). "Aretha Franklin inducted into Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2015". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on January 3, 2016. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  10. ^ "National Women's Hall of Fame Virtual Induction Series Inaugural Event December 10, 2020" (PDF). November 11, 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 9, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2020.

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