ARETHA FRANKLIN (1942-2018)
Aretha Franklin was a singer and pianist who defined the golden age of soul music in the 1960s. She was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and is one of the most honored artists in Grammy history.
Franklin was born in 1942 in Memphis, TN. Her father was a Baptist Preacher and her mother a gospel singer. Her parents divorced when she was 6, and Franklin remained with her father. Her mother died 4 years later and the family relocated to Detroit, MI when she was 10.
As a teenager, Franklin performed with her father on gospel programs and was recognized as a vocal prodigy. She released her first album of gospel tracks in 1956, at the age of 14.
At the age of 18, with her father’s blessing, Franklin switched from gospel to more secular music. She moved to NYC and signed with Columbia Records to record her first blues-jazz album. She struggled to achieve success, though, due to her lack of focus musically. It wasn’t until Franklin switched over to Atlantic records and was given creative freedom that she found success.
In 1967, Franklin had her first major hit with “I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You) and sold over a million records. She followed suit with the songs “Respect” and “Think,” earning herself the title “Queen of Soul.”
For the next half-dozen years, she became a hit maker of unprecedented proportions. Her chart dominance 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.
Franklin’s popularity began to wane as the disco era hit and other singers began to rise in popularity. Franklin made a comeback in 1982, with the help of Luther Vandross, with hits like “Jump to It” and “Freeway of Love.”
In 1987, Aretha Franklin became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Franklin continued to create hit music throughout the 1990s and 2000s and is considered one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She has sold more than 75 million records worldwide and has charted 112 singles on the US Billboard charts, including 73 Hot 100 entries, 17 top-ten pop singles, 96 R&B entries and 20 number-one R&B singles.
With 18 Grammys under her belt, she is also considered one of the most honored artists in Grammy history.
Franklin died in 2018 from pancreatic cancer.
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