Aretha Franklin - wikipedia Aretha Franklin This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 13 November 2017. Aretha Franklin Franklin preparing to perform at the White House in 2015 Aretha Louise Franklin ( 1942 - 03 - 25 ) March 25, 1942 ( age 75 ) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. Residence Bloomfield Hills, Michigan Occupation Singer Years active 1956 -- present Home town Detroit, Michigan Spouse ( s ) Ted White ( m. 1961 ; div. 1969 ) Glynn Turman ( m. 1978 ; div. 1984 ) Children Parent ( s ) Clarence LaVaughn Franklin Barbara Siggers Franklin Relatives Erma Franklin ( sister ) Carolyn Franklin ( sister ) Awards Aretha Franklin awards Musical career Genres R&B soul pop gospel jazz Instruments Vocals piano keyboards Labels J.V.B Columbia Atlantic Arista RCA Associated acts Sweet Inspirations Erma Franklin Carolyn Franklin Cissy Houston Dionne Warwick Smokey Robinson King Curtis Patti LaBelle Eurythmics The Caravans James Brown George Benson The Soul Stirrers Luther Vandross Mahalia Jackson Whitney Houston George Michael Michael McDonald Lauryn Hill Website arethafranklin.net Aretha Louise Franklin ( born March 25, 1942 ) is an American singer and songwriter. Franklin began her career as a child singing gospel at the church of her father, minister C.L. Franklin 's church. In 1960, at the age of 18, Franklin embarked on a secular career, recording for Columbia Records but only achieving modest success. Following her signing to Atlantic Records in 1967, Franklin achieved commercial acclaim and success with songs such as `` Respect '', `` ( You Make Me Feel Like ) A Natural Woman '', `` Spanish Harlem '' and `` Think ''. By the end of the 1960s decade she had gained the title `` The Queen of Soul ''. Franklin eventually recorded a total of 112 charted singles on Billboard, including 77 Hot 100 entries, 17 top ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries and twenty number - one R&B singles, becoming the most charted female artist in the chart 's history. Franklin also recorded acclaimed albums such as I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, Lady Soul, Young, Gifted and Black and Amazing Grace before experiencing problems with her record company by the mid-1970s. After her father was shot in 1979, Franklin left Atlantic and signed with Arista Records, finding success with her part in the film The Blues Brothers and with the albums Jump to It and Who 's Zoomin ' Who ?. In 1998, Franklin won international acclaim for singing the opera aria `` Nessun dorma '', at the Grammys of that year replacing Luciano Pavarotti. Later that same year, she scored her final Top 40 recording with `` A Rose Is Still a Rose ''. Franklin 's other popular and well known hits include `` Rock Steady '', `` Think '', `` Jump to It '', `` Freeway of Love '', `` Who 's Zoomin ' Who '', `` Chain Of Fools '', `` I Knew You Were Waiting ( For Me ) '' ( with George Michael ), and a remake of The Rolling Stones song `` Jumpin ' Jack Flash ''. Franklin has won a total of 18 Grammy Awards and is one of the best - selling musical artists of all time, having sold over 75 million records worldwide. Franklin has been honored throughout her career including a 1987 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in which she became the first female performer to be inducted. She was inducted to the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. In August 2012, Franklin was inducted into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Franklin is listed in at least two all - time lists on Rolling Stone magazine, including the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, in which she placed number 9 ; and the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, in which she placed number 1. Contents 1 Early life 2 Music career 2.1 Beginnings ( 1952 -- 1960 ) 2.2 Initial success ( 1961 -- 1966 ) 2.3 Commercial success ( 1967 -- 1979 ) 2.4 Later years ( 1980 -- present ) 3 Music style and image 4 Personal life 4.1 Weight issues and health problems 5 Legacy 5.1 Honorary degrees 6 Awards and nominations 7 Discography 8 List of number - one R&B singles 9 Filmography 10 References 11 Sources 12 External links Early Life Franklin 's birthplace at 406 Lucy Ave. in Memphis, Tennessee. Aretha Louise Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee, to Barbara ( née Siggers ) and Clarence LaVaughn `` C.L. '' Franklin. Her father was an itinerant preacher originally from Shelby, Mississippi, while her mother was an accomplished piano player and vocalist. Alongside Franklin, her parents had three other children while both C.L. and Barbara had children from outside their marriage. The family relocated to Buffalo, New York when Franklin was two. Before her fifth birthday, C.L. Franklin permanently relocated the family to Detroit, Michigan where he took over the pastorship of New Bethel Baptist Church. Franklin 's parents had a troubled marriage due to stories of C.L. Franklin 's philandering and in 1948, they separated, with Barbara relocating back to Buffalo with her son, Vaughn, from a previous relationship. Contrary to popular notion, Franklin 's mother did not abandon her children ; not only would Franklin recall seeing her mother in Buffalo during the summer, Barbara also frequently visited her children in Detroit. Franklin 's mother died on March 7, 1952, before Franklin 's tenth birthday. Several women, including Franklin 's grandmother Rachel, and Mahalia Jackson took turns helping with the children at the Franklin home. During this time, Franklin learned how to play piano by ear. Franklin 's father 's emotionally driven sermons resulted in him being known as the man with the `` million - dollar voice '' and earning thousands of dollars for sermons in various churches across the country. Franklin 's celebrity led to his home being visited by various celebrities including gospel musicians Clara Ward, James Cleveland and early Caravans members Albertina Walker and Inez Andrews as well as Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke. Music career Beginnings ( 1952 -- 1960 ) Just after her mother 's death, Franklin began singing solos at New Bethel, debuting with the hymn, `` Jesus, Be a Fence Around Me ''. Four years later, when Franklin was 14, her father began managing her, bringing her on the road with him during his so - called `` gospel caravan '' tours for her to perform in various churches. He helped his daughter get signed to her first recording deal with J.V.B. Records, where her first album, Songs of Faith, was issued in 1956. Two singles were released to gospel radio stations including `` Never Grow Old '' and `` Precious Lord, Take My Hand ''. Franklin sometimes traveled with The Caravans and The Soul Stirrers during this time and developed a crush on Sam Cooke, who was then singing with the Soul Stirrers before his secular career. After turning 18, Franklin confided to her father that she aspired to follow Sam Cooke to record pop music. Serving as her manager, C.L. agreed to the move and helped to produce a two - song demo that soon was brought to the attention of Columbia Records, who agreed to sign her in 1960. Franklin was signed as a `` five - percent artist ''. During this period, Franklin would be coached by choreographer Cholly Atkins to prepare for her pop performances. Before signing with Columbia, Sam Cooke tried to persuade Franklin 's father to have his label, RCA sign Franklin. He had also been courted by local record label owner Berry Gordy to sign Franklin and her elder sister Erma to his Tamla label. Franklin 's father felt the label was not established enough yet. Franklin 's first Columbia single, `` Today I Sing the Blues '', was issued in September 1960 and later reached the top ten of the Hot Rhythm & Blues Sellers chart. Initial success ( 1961 -- 1966 ) Franklin, 1967 In January 1961, Columbia issued Franklin 's first secular album, Aretha : With The Ray Bryant Combo. The album featured her first single to chart the Billboard Hot 100, `` Wo n't Be Long '', which also peaked at number 7 on the R&B chart. Mostly produced by Clyde Otis, Franklin 's Columbia recordings saw her recording in diverse genres such as standards, vocal jazz, blues, doo - wop and rhythm and blues. Before the year was out, Franklin scored her first top 40 single with her rendition of the standard, `` Rock - a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody '', which also included the R&B hit, `` Operation Heartbreak '', on its b - side. `` Rock - a-Bye '' became her first international hit, reaching the top 40 in Australia and Canada. By the end of 1961, Franklin was named as a `` new - star female vocalist '' in Down Beat magazine. In 1962, Columbia issued two more albums, The Electrifying Aretha Franklin and The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin, the latter of which charted number 69 on the Billboard Pop LPs chart. By 1964, Franklin began recording more pop music, reaching the top ten on the R&B chart with the ballad, `` Runnin ' Out of Fools '' in early 1965. She had two R&B charted singles in 1965 and 1966 with the songs `` One Step Ahead '' and `` Cry Like a Baby '' while also reaching the Easy Listening charts with the ballads `` You Made Me Love You '' and `` ( No, No ) I 'm Losing You ''. By the mid-1960s, Franklin was netting $100,000 from countless performances in nightclubs and theaters. Also during that period, Franklin appeared on rock and roll shows such as Hollywood A Go - Go and Shindig !. However, it was argued that Franklin 's potential was neglected at the label. Columbia executive John H. Hammond later said he felt Columbia did not understand Franklin 's early gospel background and failed to bring that aspect out further during her Columbia period. Commercial success ( 1967 -- 1979 ) In November 1966, choosing not to renew her Columbia contract after six years with the company, Franklin signed to Atlantic Records. In January 1967, she traveled to Muscle Shoals, Alabama to record at FAME Studios to record the song, `` I Never Loved a Man ( The Way I Love You ) '' in front of the musicians of the famed Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. The song was later issued that February and shot up to number - one on the R&B chart, while also peaking at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Franklin her first top ten pop single. The song 's b - side, `` Do Right Woman, Do Right Man '', reached the R&B top 40, peaking at number 37. In April, Atlantic issued her frenetic version of Otis Redding 's `` Respect '', which shot to number - one on both the R&B and pop charts and later became her signature song and was later hailed as a civil rights and feminist anthem. Franklin 's debut Atlantic album, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, also became commercially successful, later going gold. Franklin scored two more top ten singles in 1967 including `` Baby I Love You '' and `` ( You Make Me Feel Like A ) Natural Woman ''. Franklin 's rapport with producer Jerry Wexler helped in the creation of the majority of Franklin 's peak recordings with Atlantic. In 1968, she issued the top - selling albums, Lady Soul and Aretha Now, which included some of Franklin 's most popular hit singles including `` Chain of Fools '', `` Ai n't No Way '', `` Think '' and `` I Say a Little Prayer ''. In February 1968, Franklin earned the first two of her Grammys including the debut category for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. On February 16, 1968, Franklin was honored with a day in her honor and was greeted by longtime friend Martin Luther King, Jr. who gave her the SCLC Drum Beat Award for Musicians just two months before his death. In June 1968, she appeared on the cover of Time magazine. `` Respect '' `` Respect '' was a huge hit for Franklin, it became a signature song for her. Problems playing this file ? See media help. Franklin 's success expanded during the early 1970s in which she recorded top ten singles such as `` Spanish Harlem '', `` Rock Steady '' and `` Day Dreaming '' as well as the acclaimed albums, Spirit in the Dark, Young, Gifted & Black and her gospel album, Amazing Grace, which sold over two million copies. In 1971, Franklin became the first R&B performer to headline Fillmore West, later recording the live album, Aretha Live at Fillmore West. Franklin 's career began to experience problems while recording the album, Hey Now Hey, which featured production from Quincy Jones. Despite the success of the single, `` Angel '', the album bombed upon its release in 1973. Franklin continued having R&B success with songs such as `` Until You Come Back to Me '' and `` I 'm in Love '' but by 1975, her albums and songs were no longer top sellers. After Jerry Wexler left Atlantic for Warner Bros. Records in 1976, Franklin worked on the soundtrack to the film, `` Sparkle '', with Curtis Mayfield. The album yielded Franklin 's final top 40 hit of the decade, `` Something He Can Feel '', which also peaked at number - one on the R&B chart. Franklin 's follow - up albums for Atlantic including Sweet Passion, Almighty Fire and La Diva bombed on the charts and in 1979, Franklin opted to leave the company. Later years ( 1980 -- present ) Franklin performing on April 21, 2007, at the Nokia Theater in Dallas, Texas In 1980, after leaving Atlantic Records, Franklin signed with Clive Davis ' Arista Records and that same year gave a command performance at the Royal Albert Hall in front of Queen Elizabeth. Franklin also made an acclaimed guest role as a waitress in the comedy musical, The Blues Brothers. Franklin 's first Arista album, Aretha, featured the No. 3 R&B hit, `` United Together '' and her Grammy - nominated cover of Otis Redding 's `` I Ca n't Turn You Loose ''. The follow - up, 1981 's Love All the Hurt Away, included her famed duet of the title track with George Benson while the album also included her Grammy - winning cover of Sam & Dave 's `` Hold On, I 'm Comin ' ''. Franklin returned to the Gold standard -- for the first time in seven years -- with the album, Jump to It. Its title track was her first top 40 single on the pop charts in six years. In 1985, inspired by her desire to have a `` younger sound '' in her music, her fifth Arista album, Who 's Zoomin ' Who ?, became her first album to be certified platinum, after selling well over a million copies, thanks to the hits, `` Freeway of Love '', the title track and `` Another Night ''. The following year 's Aretha album nearly matched this success with the hit singles `` Jumpin ' Jack Flash '', `` Jimmy Lee '' and `` I Knew You Were Waiting for Me '', her international number - one duet with George Michael. During that period, Franklin provided vocals to the theme songs of the shows, A Different World and Together. In 1987, she issued her third gospel album, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, which was recorded at her late father 's New Bethel church, followed by Through the Storm in 1989. Franklin 's 1991 album, What You See is What You Sweat, flopped on the charts. Franklin returned to the charts in 1993 with the dance song `` A Deeper Love '' and returned to the top 40 with the song `` Willing to Forgive '' in 1994. In 1998, Franklin returned to the top 40 with the Lauryn Hill - produced song, `` A Rose Is Still a Rose '', later issuing the album of the same name, which went gold. That same year, Franklin earned international acclaim for her performance of `` Nessun Dorma '' at the Grammy Awards. Her final Arista album, So Damn Happy, was released in 2003 and featured the Grammy - winning song, `` Wonderful ''. In 2004, Franklin announced that she was leaving Arista after over 20 years with the label. To complete her Arista obligations, Franklin issued the duets compilation album, Jewels in the Crown : All - Star Duets with the Queen, in 2007. The following year, she issued the holiday album, This Christmas, Aretha, on DMI Records. Franklin singing at the 2009 inauguration of President Obama Franklin performed The Star Spangled Banner with Aaron Neville and Dr. John for Super Bowl XL, held in her hometown of Detroit in February 2006. She later made international headlines for performing `` My Country ' Tis of Thee '' at President Barack Obama 's inaugural ceremony with her church hat becoming a popular topic online. In 2010, Franklin accepted an honorary degree from Yale University. In 2011, under her own label, Aretha 's Records, she issued the album, Aretha : A Woman Falling Out Of Love. As of 2014, Franklin is now signed under RCA Records, controller of the Arista catalog and a sister label to Columbia via Sony Music Entertainment, and is currently working again with Clive Davis. A new album is in the works with producers Babyface and Danger Mouse planning to work with Franklin. On September 29, 2014, Franklin performed to a standing ovation, with Cissy Houston as backup, a compilation of Adele 's `` Rolling in the Deep '' and `` Ai n't No Mountain High Enough '' on the Late Show with David Letterman. Franklin 's cover of `` Rolling in the Deep '' would be featured among nine other songs in her first RCA release, Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics, released on October 21, 2014. In October 2014 Franklin became the first woman to have 100 songs on Billboard 's Hot R&B / Hip - Hop Songs chart with the success of her cover of Adele 's `` Rolling in the Deep '', which debuted at number 47 on the chart. In December 2015 Franklin gave an acclaimed performance of `` ( You Make Me Feel Like ) A Natural Woman '' at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors during the section for honoree Carole King, who co-wrote the song. During the bridge of the song, Ms. Franklin dropped her fur coat to the stage, for which the audience rewarded her with a mid-performance standing ovation. Music style and image According to Richie Unterberger, Franklin is `` one of the giants of soul music, and indeed of American pop as a whole. More than any other performer, she epitomized soul at its most gospel - charged. '' She has often been described as a great singer and musician due to `` vocal flexibility, interpretive intelligence, skillful piano - playing, her ear, her experience. '' Franklin 's voice has been described as being a `` powerful mezzo - soprano voice '' and has been praised for her arrangements and interpretations of other artists ' hit songs. Of describing Franklin 's voice as a youngster on her first album, Songs of Faith, released when she was just fourteen, Jerry Wexler explained that Franklin 's voice `` was not that of a child but rather of an ecstatic hierophant. '' Franklin 's image went through rapid changes throughout her career. During the 1960s, Franklin was known for wearing bouffant hairdos and extravagant dresses that were sometimes embellished with either mink fur or feathers. In the 1970s, embracing her roots, Franklin briefly wore an Afro and the Afrocentric styled clothing admired by her peers. In the mid-1970s, after dropping weight, Franklin began wearing more fitted attire. By the 1980s, she had settled on wearing evening gowns and extravagant dresses. Personal Life Aretha Franklin and William Wilkerson watching Roger Federer at the 2011 US Open. After being raised in Detroit, Franklin relocated to New York City in the 1960s, where she lived until moving to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s. She eventually settled in Encino, Los Angeles where she lived until 1982. She then returned to the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan to be close to her ailing father and siblings. Franklin maintains a residence there to this day. Following an incident in 1984, she has cited a fear of flying that has prevented her from traveling overseas ; she has performed only in North America since then. Franklin is the mother of four sons. She became pregnant at the age of just 12 and gave birth to her first child, named Clarence after her father, on January 28, 1955. The father of the child is Donald Burk, a boy she knew from school. At the age of 14 on January 22, 1957, Franklin had a second child named Edward after his father Edward Jordan. Both of her children took her family name. While Franklin was pursuing her career and `` hanging out with ( friends ) '', Franklin 's grandmother Rachel and sister Erma took turns raising the children. Franklin 's third child, Ted White, Jr., was born in 1964 and is known professionally as Teddy Richards. He has provided guitar backing for his mother 's band during live concerts. Her youngest son, Kecalf Cunningham born March 28, 1970 is the child of her road manager Ken Cunningham. Franklin has married twice. She married Ted White in 1961, despite objections from her father. After a contentious marriage that involved domestic violence, she divorced White in 1969. She then married her second husband, actor Glynn Turman, on April 11, 1978 at her father 's church. By marrying Turman, Franklin became stepmother of Turman 's three children from a previous marriage. Franklin and Turman separated in 1982 after Franklin returned to Michigan from California, and they divorced in 1984. At one point, Franklin had plans to walk down the aisle with longtime companion Willie Wilkerson. Franklin and Wilkerson had had two previous engagements stretching back to 1988. Franklin eventually called the 2012 engagement off. Franklin 's sisters Erma and Carolyn were professional musicians as well and spent years performing background vocals on Franklin 's recordings. Following Franklin 's divorce from Ted White, her brother Cecil became her manager, and maintained that position until his death from lung cancer on December 26, 1989. Sister Carolyn died the previous year in April 1988 from breast cancer, while eldest sister Erma passed from throat cancer in September 2002. Franklin 's half - brother Vaughn died two months after Erma in late 2002. Half - sister Carl Kelley ( née Jennings ; born 1940 ) is still alive at 77. Kelley is C.L. Franklin 's daughter by Mildred Jennings, a then 12 - year - old congregant of New Salem Baptist Church in Memphis, where C.L. was pastor. Franklin was performing at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas, on June 10, 1979, when her father C.L. was shot twice at point blank range in his Detroit home. After six months at Henry Ford Hospital, still in a state of coma, C.L. was moved back to his home with 24 - hour nursing care. Aretha moved back to Detroit in late 1982 to assist with the care of her father, who died at Detroit 's New Light Nursing Home on July 27, 1984. Some of her music business friends have included Dionne Warwick, Mavis Staples, and Cissy Houston, who began singing with Franklin as members of the Sweet Inspirations. Cissy sang background on Franklin 's classic hit `` Ai n't No Way ''. Franklin first met Cissy 's daughter, Whitney, in the early 1970s. She was made Whitney 's honorary aunt, and Whitney often referred to her as `` Auntie Ree ''. Whitney died on February 11, 2012. Franklin stated she was surprised by her death. She had initially planned to perform at Houston 's memorial service on February 18, but her representative claimed that Franklin suffered a leg spasm and was unable to attend. In response to criticism of her non-attendance, she stated, `` God knows I wanted to be there, but I could n't. '' Franklin is a registered Democrat. In 2014, she was granted the honorary degree of Doctor of Arts from Harvard University for her contributions to music. Weight issues and health problems Franklin dealt with weight issues for years. In 1974, she dropped 40 pounds ( 18 kg ) during a crash diet and maintained her new weight until the end of the decade. Franklin again lost the weight in the early 1990s before gaining some back. A former chain smoker who struggled with alcoholism, she quit smoking in 1992. Franklin admitted in 1994 that her smoking was `` messing with my voice '', but after quitting smoking she said later, in 2003, that her weight `` ballooned ''. In 2010, Franklin canceled a number of concerts after she decided to have surgery for an undisclosed tumor. Discussing the surgery in 2011, she quoted her doctor as saying it would `` add 15 to 20 years '' to her life. She denied that the ailment had anything to do with pancreatic cancer, as it was rumored. On May 19, 2011, Franklin had her comeback show in the Chicago theatre. In May 2013, Franklin canceled two performances to deal with an undisclosed medical treatment. Later in the same month, Franklin canceled three more concerts in June and planned to return to perform in July. However, a show of July 27 in Clarkston, Michigan was canceled due to continued medical treatment. In addition, Franklin canceled an appearance at an MLB luncheon in Chicago honoring her commitment to civil rights on an August 24 date. She also canceled a performance of September 21 in Atlanta due to her health recovery. During a phone interview with The Associated Press in late August 2013 Franklin stated that she had a `` miraculous '' recovery from her undisclosed illness but had to cancel shows and appearances until she was at 100 % health, stating she was `` 85 % healed ''. Franklin has since returned to live performing, including a 2013 Christmas concert at Detroit 's Motor City Casino. She launched a multi-city tour beginning the summer of 2014, starting with a performance of June 14 in New York at the Radio City Music Hall. In 2017, Franklin canceled a series of concerts due to health reasons. During an outdoors Detroit show, Franklin told the audience to `` keep me in your prayers ''. In July 2017, Franklin reemerged, appearing to lose more weight before a performance at the Wolf Trap in Virginia. Legacy Franklin wipes a tear after being honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on November 9, 2005, at the White House. Seated with her are fellow recipients Robert Conquest, left, and Alan Greenspan. A wax sculpture of Franklin on display at Madame Tussauds in New York City. Franklin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1979, had her voice declared a Michigan `` natural resource '' in 1985, and became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. NARAS awarded her a Grammy Legend Award in 1991, then the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994. Franklin was a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1994, recipient of the National Medal of Arts in 1999, and was bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. Franklin become the second woman inducted to the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. She was the 2008 MusiCares Person of the Year, performing at the Grammys days later. Following news of Franklin 's surgery and recovery in February 2011, the Grammys ceremony paid tribute to the singer with a medley of her classics performed by Christina Aguilera, Florence Welch, Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride, and Yolanda Adams. That same year she was ranked among the Billboard Hot 100 All - Time top artists, and ranked first on the Rolling Stone list of Greatest Singers of All Time. Inducted to the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012, Franklin has been described as `` the voice of the civil rights movement, the voice of black America '' and a `` symbol of black equality ''. Asteroid 249516 Aretha was named in her honor in 2014. `` American history wells up when Aretha sings '', president Obama explained his emotional response to her performance of `` A Natural Woman '' at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors. `` Nobody embodies more fully the connection between the African - American spiritual, the blues, R&B, rock and roll -- the way that hardship and sorrow were transformed into something full of beauty and vitality and hope ''. On June 8, 2017, the City of Detroit honored Franklin 's legacy by renaming a portion of Madison Street, between Brush and Witherell Streets, `` Aretha Franklin Way ''. Honorary degrees Franklin received an honorary degree from Harvard University in 2014, as well as honorary doctorates in music from Princeton University, 2012 ; Yale University, 2010 ; Brown University, 2009 ; Berklee College of Music, 2006 ; New England Conservatory of Music, 1995 ; and University of Michigan, 1987. Franklin was granted an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Wayne State University in 1990 and an honorary Doctor of Law by Bethune - Cookman College in 1975. Awards and nominations Main article : List of awards and nominations received by Aretha Franklin Discography Main article : Aretha Franklin discography List of number - one R&B singles `` I Never Loved a Man ( The Way I Love You ) '' ( 1967 ) `` Respect '' ( 1967 ) `` Baby I Love You '' ( 1967 ) `` Chain of Fools '' ( 1967 ) `` ( Sweet Sweet Baby ) Since You 've Been Gone '' ( 1968 ) `` Think '' ( 1968 ) `` Share Your Love with Me '' ( 1969 ) `` Call Me '' ( 1970 ) `` Do n't Play That Song ( You Lied ) '' ( 1970 ) `` Bridge over Troubled Water '' ( 1971 ) `` Spanish Harlem '' ( 1971 ) `` Day Dreaming '' ( 1972 ) `` Angel '' ( 1973 ) `` Until You Come Back to Me ( That 's What I 'm Gonna Do ) '' ( 1973 ) `` I 'm in Love '' ( 1974 ) `` Something He Can Feel '' ( 1976 ) `` Break It to Me Gently '' ( 1977 ) `` Jump to It '' ( 1982 ) `` Get It Right '' ( 1983 ) `` Freeway of Love '' ( 1985 ) Filmography Black Rodeo ( 1972 ) ( documentary ) The Blues Brothers ( 1980 ) Listen Up : The Lives of Quincy Jones ( 1990 ) ( documentary ) Blues Brothers 2000 ( 1998 ) Tom Dowd & the Language of Music ( 2003 ) ( documentary ) The Zen of Bennett ( 2012 ) ( documentary ) Muscle Shoals ( 2013 ) ( documentary ) References Jump up ^ `` That 's Dr. Aretha Franklin to you ''. 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Jump up ^ Dave Hoekstra ( May 12, 2011 ). `` Aretha Franklin 's roots of soul ''. Chicago Sun - Times. Retrieved April 18, 2012. Jump up ^ Carroll, Jillian ( 2004 ). Aretha Franklin. Chicago : Raintree. ISBN 0 - 7398 - 7029 - 7. Jump up ^ Ebony 1964, p. 88. ^ Jump up to : Gilliland, John ( 1969 ). `` Show 52 -- The Soul Reformation : Phase three, soul music at the summit. ( Part 8 ) : UNT Digital Library '' ( audio ). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries. ^ Jump up to : Ebony 1964, p. 85. Jump up ^ Cohen, Aaron ( 2011 ). Aretha Franklin 's Amazing Grace. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 28. ISBN 9781441103925. Jump up ^ Natalie Cole broke Franklin 's `` Best Female R&B Vocal Performance '' winning streak with her 1975 single `` This Will Be ( An Everlasting Love ) '' ( which, ironically, was originally offered to Franklin ). Jump up ^ Dobkin 2006, p. 5. Jump up ^ Whitaker 2011, p. 315. Jump up ^ Bego 2010, p. 107. Jump up ^ `` TIME Magazine Cover : Aretha Franklin ''. Time. June 28, 1968. Retrieved September 30, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Aretha Franklin songs ''. Archived from the original on January 20, 2012. -- from the Bill Graham archives ; requires free login. Jump up ^ Holden, Stephen ( October 11, 1981 ). `` Aretha Franklin : Gospel and Glamour ''. New York Times. New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2015. Jump up ^ Rolling Stone magazine, `` Aretha Franklin 's New Wave of Pop '' by Eliza Graham, page 11. Jump up ^ Patrick Goldstein ( July 18, 1986 ). `` Writer 's Ballad Tapped For Abc - tv Fall Theme ''. South Florida Sun - Sentinel. Retrieved April 18, 2012. Jump up ^ Rosenthal, Lauren ( May 24, 2010 ). `` Univ. confers 3,243 degrees at 309th Commencement ''. Yale Daily News. Archived from the original on September 25, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Q&A : Aretha Franklin talks about Gospelfest and new album ''. The Washington Post. May 10, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Aretha Franklin Gets Standing Ovation from Letterman Audience With Knockout Performance ''. Showbiz411. September 30, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Aretha Franklin becomes first woman to join R&B chart 's 100 club ''. Express.co.uk. Retrieved October 18, 2014. Jump up ^ Miller, Matt ( December 30, 2015 ). `` Aretha Franklin Just Brought the Leader of the Free World to Tears ''. Esquire. Retrieved December 31, 2015. Jump up ^ Greer, Carlos ( December 9, 2015 ). `` Aretha Franklin stuns at Kennedy Center Honors ''. Page Six. Retrieved December 31, 2015. Jump up ^ Hattenstone, Simon ( December 30, 2015 ). `` Obama cries as Aretha Franklin proves why she 's the queen of soul ''. the Guardian. Retrieved December 31, 2015. Jump up ^ Kreps, Daniel ( December 30, 2015 ). `` Watch Aretha Franklin Bring Obama to Tears at Kennedy Center Honors ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 31, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Aretha Franklin Dropping Her Fur Coat at ' Kennedy Center Honors ' is Ultimate Life Goals ! ''. Jump up ^ Unterberger, Richie ( n.d. ). `` Aretha Franklin ''. AllMusic. Retrieved March 13, 2017. Jump up ^ Dobkin 2006, p. 8. Jump up ^ Whitaker 2011, p. 312. Jump up ^ McMahon 2000, p. 373. Jump up ^ Interview, The Wendy Williams Show, March 2011, YouTube.com, at Minute 2 : 00, retrieved at 16. August 2011 Jump up ^ `` The Secret Life Of Aretha Franklin Included A Huge Appetite For Sex, Shopping And Fried Chicken ''. The Inquisitr. 2014 - 10 - 28. Retrieved 2017 - 11 - 02. Jump up ^ `` Aretha 's diva tantrums and an insatiable appetite for sex and spending ''. Mail Online. Retrieved 2017 - 11 - 02. Jump up ^ Ebony 1995, p. 32. Jump up ^ `` Aretha Franklin gets engaged ''. NDTV. January 3, 2012. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2012. Jump up ^ Bego 2010, pp. 125 - 126. Jump up ^ `` Soul singer Aretha Franklin is engaged ''. CNN. January 2, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Aretha Franklin to get married this summer Celebrity Buzz a Chron.com blog ''. Blog.chron.com. January 2, 2012. Retrieved May 13, 2012. Jump up ^ Salvatore, Nick, Singing in a Strange Land : C.L. Franklin, the Black Church, and the Transformation of America, Little Brown, 2005, Hardcover ISBN 0 - 316 - 16037 - 7, pp. 61 -- 62 Jump up ^ Baltimore Afro - American 1979. Jump up ^ Jet 1984. Jump up ^ Roger Friedman ( February 17, 2012 ). `` Who Is Cissy Houston ? A Primer ''. Showbiz411. Retrieved April 18, 2012. Jump up ^ Whitall, Susan. `` Aretha Franklin recalls meeting a young Whitney Houston ''. Aretha Franklin, who will sing at Whitney Houston 's funeral Saturday, spoke to Al Roker on the `` Today '' show Friday morning about the first time she met Houston, as a wide - eyed 8 - or 9 - year - old. The Detroit News. Retrieved February 18, 2012. Jump up ^ Whitall, Susan. `` Aretha Franklin recalls meeting a young Whitney Houston ''. The Queen of Soul corrected one thing about her relationship to Houston. She says she was n't really Houston 's godmother, but a sort of honorary aunt. The Detroit News. Retrieved February 18, 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` Singer Whitney Houston dies at 48 - CNN.com ''. CNN. February 12, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Aretha Franklin Talks Turning 70 Years Old, Shares Update on Her Health ''. Access Hollywood. Archived from the original on 2013 - 01 - 16. Jump up ^ On an ABC promo aired on July 27, 2010, announcing Franklin and Condoleezza Rice 's appearing together in concert there was a segment in which Franklin was being interviewed and she said herself, `` I am a Democrat ''. Jump up ^ Ireland, Corydon ; Pazzanese, Christina ; Powell, Alvin ; Walsh, Colleen ( May 29, 2014 ). `` Eight to receive honorary degrees ''. Harvard Gazette. Retrieved May 29, 2014. Jump up ^ Ebony 1974. Jump up ^ Bego 2010, pp. 162 - 165. ^ Jump up to : `` Aretha Franklin Reveals Tumour Scare ''. Contact News. January 10, 2012. Retrieved May 26, 2013. Jump up ^ Bego 2010, p. 305. Jump up ^ Ebony 1995, p. 30. Jump up ^ Jet 2003, pp. 62 - 63. Jump up ^ `` Aretha Franklin Sets The Record Straight on Her Health ''. Access Hollywood. January 13, 2011. Jump up ^ Bob Gendron ( May 20, 2011 ). `` Aretha Franklin sings in Chicago - Chicago Tribune ''. Articles.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved March 20, 2014. Jump up ^ Lewis, Randy ( May 13, 2013 ). `` Aretha Franklin cancels 2 shows for undisclosed ailment ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 17, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Aretha Franklin taking June off, postponing shows ''. USA Today. May 22, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Aretha Franklin cancels hometown show citing treatment ''. CBSNews.com. July 12, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Aretha Franklin not attending baseball luncheon ''. August 19, 2013. Archived from the original on August 22, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Aretha Franklin Cancels September Show, Sparking Concerns Over Her Health ''. August 20, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The Queen of Soul is on the mend, but from what ? ''. USAToday.com. August 21, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2013. Jump up ^ Edna Gundersen, USA TODAY ( June 12, 2014 ). `` Aretha Franklin happily sheds weight, embraces future ''. Usatoday.com. Retrieved August 2, 2014. Jump up ^ Adam Graham ( June 10, 2017 ). `` Aretha Franklin gives Detroit something to remember ''. The Detroit News. Retrieved August 4, 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Diva Has Returned : Aretha Franklin Reveals Stunning Weight Loss ''. July 31, 2017. Retrieved August 4, 2017. Jump up ^ Bego 2010, p. 238. Jump up ^ Ebony 1995, p. 29. Jump up ^ Grammy Awards tribute to Aretha Franklin Franklin has been cited as a major influence of singers such as Jennifer Hudson, Jill Scott, and many others. Jump up ^ The Billboard Hot 100 All - Time Top Artists. Billboard.com. Retrieved on July 8, 2011. Archived January 16, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` 100 Greatest Artists : Aretha Franklin ''. Rolling Stone. April 20, 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2013. Jump up ^ Dobkin, Matt ( 2006 ). I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You : Aretha Franklin, Respect, and the Making Of A Soul Music Masterpiece. New York : St. Martin 's Griffin. ISBN 0 - 312 - 31828 - 6. Jump up ^ Bego, Mark ( 1989 ). Aretha Franklin : The Queen Of Soul. New York : St. Martin 's Press. p. 108. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7090 - 4053 - 8. Jump up ^ `` Minor Planet Center ''. Retrieved April 7, 2015. Jump up ^ Obama quoted in David Remnick, `` Soul Survivor : The revival and hidden treasure of Aretha Franklin. '' The New Yorker, April 4, 2016. Retrieved on April 4, 2016. Jump up ^ `` ' Aretha Franklin Way ' street unveiled for tearful Queen of Soul ''. Freep.com. 2017 - 06 - 08. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Harvard Honorary Degrees ''. Retrieved July 20, 2014. Jump up ^ Yesha Callahan ( May 29, 2014 ). `` Aretha Franklin Receives Honorary Degree From Harvard University - The Root ''. The Root. Retrieved October 4, 2014. Sources Bego, Mark ( Feb 10, 2010 ). Aretha Franklin : The Queen of Soul. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 78675 - 229 - 4. Dobkin, Matt ( 2006 ). I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You : Aretha Franklin, Respect, and the Making Of A Soul Music Masterpiece. New York : St. Martin 's Griffin. ISBN 0 - 312 - 31828 - 6. Feiler, Bruce ( October 6, 2009 ). America 's Prophet. HarperCollins. ISBN 978 - 0 - 06193 - 925 - 9. McAvoy, Jim ( 2002 ). Aretha Franklin. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978 - 1 - 43812 - 161 - 1. McMahon, Thomas ( 2000 ). Creative and Performing Artists for Teens. Gale Group. ISBN 978 - 0 - 78763 - 975 - 4. `` Queen of Soul 's Father Rev. C.L. Franklin, 69, Dies After 5 Years in Coma ''. Jet. `` Rev. C.L. Franklin shot ''. Baltimore Afro - American. June 12, 1979. `` Aretha Franklin Returns With Soulful CD, ' So Damn Happy ' ''. Jet. September 29, 2003. `` Aretha Talks About Men, Marriage, Music & Motherhood ''. Ebony. April 1995. `` Swingin ' Aretha ''. Ebony. `` The New Aretha ''. Ebony. Whitaker, Matthew C. ( March 1, 2011 ). Icons of Black America : Breaking Barriers and Crossing Boundaries ( Three Volumes ) ( Google eBook ). ABC - CLIO. ISBN 978 - 0 - 31337 - 643 - 6. External links Wikiquote has quotations related to : Aretha Franklin Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aretha Franklin. Book : Aretha Franklin Biography portal African American portal Aretha Franklin at Encyclopædia Britannica Aretha Franklin at AllMusic Aretha Franklin receives honorary degree from Harvard June 2014 Aretha Franklin at Legacy Recordings Appearances on C - SPAN Aretha Franklin in the Hollywood Walk of Fame Directory Aretha Franklin on IMDb Aretha Franklin at NPR Music `` Aretha Franklin collected news and commentary ''. The New York Times. Works by or about Aretha Franklin in libraries ( WorldCat catalog ) Aretha Franklin at Answers.com Aretha Franklin discography at Discogs `` Aretha Franklin ''. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Aretha Franklin Studio albums Columbia Aretha ( 1961 ) The Electrifying Aretha Franklin ( 1962 ) The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin ( 1962 ) Laughing on the Outside ( 1963 ) Unforgettable : A Tribute to Dinah Washington ( 1964 ) Runnin ' Out of Fools ( 1964 ) Yeah ! ! ! ( 1965 ) Soul Sister ( 1966 ) Take It Like You Give It ( 1967 ) Take a Look ( 1967 ) Soft and Beautiful ( 1969 ) Atlantic I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You ( 1967 ) Aretha Arrives ( 1967 ) Lady Soul ( 1968 ) Aretha Now ( 1968 ) Soul ' 69 ( 1969 ) This Girl 's in Love with You ( 1970 ) Spirit in the Dark ( 1970 ) Young, Gifted and Black ( 1972 ) Hey Now Hey ( The Other Side of the Sky ) ( 1973 ) Let Me in Your Life ( 1974 ) With Everything I Feel in Me ( 1974 ) You ( 1975 ) Sparkle ( 1976 ) Sweet Passion ( 1977 ) Almighty Fire ( 1978 ) La Diva ( 1979 ) Arista Aretha ( 1980 ) Love All the Hurt Away ( 1981 ) Jump to It ( 1982 ) Get It Right ( 1983 ) Who 's Zoomin ' Who ? ( 1985 ) Aretha ( 1986 ) Through the Storm ( 1989 ) What You See Is What You Sweat ( 1991 ) A Rose Is Still a Rose ( 1998 ) So Damn Happy ( 2003 ) Other Songs of Faith ( 1956 ) This Christmas, Aretha ( 2008 ) Aretha : A Woman Falling Out of Love ( 2011 ) Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics ( 2014 ) Live albums Aretha in Paris ( 1968 ) Aretha Live at Fillmore West ( 1971 ) Amazing Grace ( 1972 ) One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism ( 1987 ) Oh Me Oh My : Aretha Live in Philly, 1972 ( 2007 ) Compilation albums Aretha 's Gold ( 1969 ) Aretha 's Greatest Hits ( 1971 ) The Best of Aretha Franklin ( 1973 ) Aretha Sings the Blues ( 1980 ) 30 Greatest Hits ( 1985 ) Greatest Hits : 1980 -- 1994 ( 1994 ) The Very Best of Aretha Franklin, Vol. 1 ( 1994 ) The Early Years ( 1997 ) Greatest Hits ( 1998 ) Aretha 's Best ( 2001 ) Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul ( 2007 ) Jewels in the Crown : All - Star Duets with the Queen ( 2007 ) A Deeper Love : The Best of Aretha Franklin ( 2009 ) The Great American Songbook ( 2011 ) Knew You Were Waiting : The Best of Aretha Franklin ( 1980 - 1998 ) ( 2012 ) Box sets Queen of Soul : The Atlantic Recordings ( 1992 / 2014 ) Take A Look : Aretha Franklin Complete on Columbia ( 2011 ) Singles `` Precious Lord ( Part 1 ) '' ( 1959 ) `` Today I Sing the Blues '' ( 1960 ) `` Wo n't Be Long '' ( 1960 ) `` Rock - a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody '' ( 1961 ) `` Operation Heartbreak '' ( 1961 ) `` I Surrender, Dear '' ( 1962 ) `` Try a Little Tenderness '' ( 1962 ) `` Say It Is n't So '' ( 1963 ) `` Skylark '' ( 1963 ) `` The Christmas Song ( Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire ) '' ( 1964 ) `` One Step Ahead '' ( 1965 ) `` You Made Me Love You '' ( 1965 ) `` Mockingbird '' ( 1967 ) `` I Never Loved a Man ( The Way I Love You ) '' ( 1967 ) `` Respect '' ( 1967 ) `` Baby I Love You '' ( 1967 ) `` ( You Make Me Feel Like ) A Natural Woman '' ( 1967 ) `` Do Right Woman, Do Right Man '' `` Chain of Fools '' ( 1967 ) `` ( I Ca n't Get No ) Satisfaction '' ( 1968 ) `` ( Sweet Sweet Baby ) Since You 've Been Gone '' ( 1968 ) `` Think '' ( 1968 ) `` You Send Me '' ( 1968 ) `` The House That Jack Built '' ( 1968 ) `` I Say a Little Prayer '' ( 1968 ) `` See Saw '' ( 1968 ) `` My Song '' ( 1968 ) `` The Weight '' ( 1969 ) `` Tracks of My Tears '' ( 1969 ) `` I Ca n't See Myself Leaving You '' ( 1969 ) `` Gentle on My Mind '' ( 1969 ) `` Share Your Love with Me '' ( 1969 ) `` Eleanor Rigby '' ( 1969 ) `` Call Me '' ( 1970 ) `` Son of a Preacher Man '' ( 1970 ) `` Spirit in the Dark '' ( 1970 ) `` The Thrill Is Gone '' ( 1970 ) `` Do n't Play That Song '' ( 1970 ) `` Border Song ( Holy Moses ) '' ( 1970 ) `` You 're All I Need to Get By '' ( 1971 ) `` Bridge over Troubled Water '' ( 1971 ) `` Spanish Harlem '' ( 1971 ) `` Rock Steady '' ( 1971 ) `` Day Dreaming '' ( 1972 ) `` Wholy Holy '' ( 1972 ) `` Angel '' ( 1973 ) `` Until You Come Back to Me ( That 's What I 'm Gonna Do ) '' ( 1973 ) `` I 'm in Love '' ( 1974 ) `` Ai n't Nothing Like the Real Thing '' ( 1974 ) `` Something He Can Feel '' ( 1976 ) `` Break It to Me Gently '' ( 1977 ) `` What a Fool Believes '' ( 1981 ) `` It 's My Turn '' ( 1981 ) `` Jump to It '' ( 1982 ) `` Get It Right '' ( 1983 ) `` Freeway of Love '' ( 1985 ) `` Who 's Zoomin ' Who '' ( 1985 ) `` Sisters Are Doin ' It for Themselves '' ( 1985 ) `` Jumpin ' Jack Flash '' ( 1986 ) `` Jimmy Lee '' ( 1986 ) `` I Knew You Were Waiting ( For Me ) '' ( 1987 ) `` Oh Happy Day '' ( 1988 ) `` Gimme Your Love '' ( 1989 ) `` It Is n't, It Was n't, It Ai n't Never Gonna Be '' ( 1989 ) `` Everyday People '' ( 1991 ) `` Someday We 'll All Be Free '' ( 1992 ) `` A Deeper Love '' ( 1993 ) `` A Rose Is Still a Rose '' ( 1998 ) `` Here We Go Again '' ( 1998 ) `` Put You Up on Game '' ( 2007 ) `` Angels We Have Heard on High '' ( 2009 ) `` Rolling in the Deep ( The Aretha Version ) '' ( 2014 ) Related topics Discography Awards and nominations `` Wood Beez ( Pray Like Aretha Franklin ) '' ( by Scritti Politti ) Book Kennedy Center Honorees ( 1990s ) 1990 Dizzy Gillespie Katharine Hepburn Risë Stevens Jule Styne Billy Wilder 1991 Roy Acuff Betty Comden and Adolph Green Fayard and Harold Nicholas Gregory Peck Robert Shaw 1992 Lionel Hampton Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward Ginger Rogers Mstislav Rostropovich Paul Taylor 1993 Johnny Carson Arthur Mitchell Sir Georg Solti Stephen Sondheim Marion Williams 1994 Kirk Douglas Aretha Franklin Morton Gould Harold Prince Pete Seeger 1995 Jacques d'Amboise Marilyn Horne B.B. King Sidney Poitier Neil Simon Edward Albee Benny Carter Johnny Cash Jack Lemmon Maria Tallchief 1997 Lauren Bacall Bob Dylan Charlton Heston Jessye Norman Edward Villella 1998 Bill Cosby Fred Ebb and John Kander Willie Nelson André Previn Shirley Temple Black 1999 Victor Borge Sean Connery Judith Jamison Jason Robards Stevie Wonder Complete list 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s MusiCares Person of the Year David Crosby ( 1991 ) Bonnie Raitt ( 1992 ) Natalie Cole ( 1993 ) Gloria Estefan ( 1994 ) Tony Bennett ( 1995 ) Quincy Jones ( 1996 ) Phil Collins ( 1997 ) Luciano Pavarotti ( 1998 ) Stevie Wonder ( 1999 ) Elton John ( 2000 ) Paul Simon ( 2001 ) Billy Joel ( 2002 ) Bono ( 2003 ) Sting ( 2004 ) Brian Wilson ( 2005 ) James Taylor ( 2006 ) Don Henley ( 2007 ) Aretha Franklin ( 2008 ) Neil Diamond ( 2009 ) Neil Young ( 2010 ) Barbra Streisand ( 2011 ) Paul McCartney ( 2012 ) Bruce Springsteen ( 2013 ) Carole King ( 2014 ) Bob Dylan ( 2015 ) Lionel Richie ( 2016 ) Tom Petty ( 2017 ) Fleetwood Mac ( 2018 ) Michigan Women 's Hall of Fame 1980 -- 1989 Harriette Simpson Arnow N. Lorraine Beebe Mamie Geraldine Neale Bledsoe Elizabeth Margaret Chandler Mary Stallings Coleman Wilma T. Donahue Grace Eldering Josephine Gomon Martha W. Griffiths Dorothy Haener Laura Smith Haviland Millie Jeffrey Pearl Kendrick Helen W. Milliken Rosa L. Parks Anna Howard Shaw Lucinda Hinsdale Stone Sojourner Truth 1984 Helen J. Claytor Caroline Bartlett Crane Marguerite De Angeli Emma Genevieve Gillette Icie Macy Hoobler Magdelaine Laframboise Martha Longstreet Elly M. Peterson Jessie Pharr Slaton Mary C. Spencer Bertha Van Hoosen 1986 Patricia Boyle Elizabeth C. Crosby Gwen Frostic Elmina R. Lucke Marjorie Swank Matthews Marjorie Peebles - Meyers Mary Chase Perry Stratton Helen Thomas Marion Isabel Barnhart Patricia Hill Burnett Ethel Calhoun Georgia Emery Betty Ford Rosa Slade Gragg Clara Raven Louise L. Brown Ethelene Crockett Marcia J. Federbush Fran Harris M. Jane Kay Nugent Agnes Mary Mansour Helen Martin Sarah Goddard Power Clara B. Arthur Anna Sutherland Bissell Alexa Canady Anne R. Davidow Bernadine Newsom Denning Isabella Karle Jean Ledwith King Olga Madar Mary Anne Mayo 1990 -- 1999 1990 Emily Helen Butterfield Erma Henderson Dorothy Leonard Judd Elba Lila Morse Fannie M. Richards Emelia Christine Schaub Mary P. Sinclair Merze Tate Delia Villegas Vorhauer 1991 Rachel Andresen Mary Beck Jan BenDor Janet K. Good Jo Jacobs Virginia Cecile Blomer Nordby Dorothy Comstock Riley Edith Mays Swanson 1992 Cora Brown Mary Lou Butcher Sarah Emma Edmonds Violet Temple Lewis Luise Ruth Leismer Mahon Gilda Radner Martha Romayne Seger Ann M. Shafer Sylvia M. Stoesser Lucy Thurman Charleszetta Waddles 1993 Edith Vosburgh Alvord Catherine Carter Blackwell Jean W. Campbell Katherine Hill Campbell Lenna Frances Cooper Roberta A. Griffith Bina West Miller Jeanne Omelenchuk Sippie Wallace Edna Noble White Irene Clark Woodman 1994 Virginia Allan Marie - Therese Guyon Cadillac Ruth Carlton Flossie Cohen Bertha A. Daubendiek Genora Johnson Dollinger Flora Hommel Sarah Van Hoosen Jones Aleda E. Lutz Helen Walker McAndrew 1995 Yolanda Alvarado - Ortega Irene Auberlin Hilda R. Gage Lucia Voorhees Grimes R. Louise Grooms Odessa Komer Laura Freele Osborn Jacquelin E. Washington Carrie Frazier Rogers - Brown Anna Clemenc Waunetta McClellan Dominic Margaret Muth Laurence Claudia House Morcom Betsy Graves Reyneau Shirley E. Schwartz Joan Luedders Wolfe 1997 Ellen Burstyn Marion Corwell - Shertzer Four Sisters of Charity Della Goodwin Alice Hamilton Nancy Harkness Love Maryann Mahaffey Sharon E. Sutton Matilda Dodge Wilson 1998 Connie Binsfeld Hilda Patricia Curran Marie Dye Eleanor Josaitis Dorrie Ellen Rosenblatt Ella Merriman Sharp Martha Jean Steinberg Ruth Thompson Lily Tomlin 1999 Patricia L. Beeman Olympia Brown Doris DeDeckere Margaret Drake Elliott Elizabeth Homer Eleonore Hutzel Ella Eaton Kellogg Emily Burton Ketcham Ardeth Platte 2000 -- 2009 2000 Lillian Mellen Genser Loney Clinton Gordon Katherine G. Heideman Dauris Gwendolyn Jackson Cornelia Groefsema Kennedy Marjorie J. Lansing Chaun - Pu Lee Marilyn Fisher Lundy Katharine Dexter McCormick Kathleen N. Straus Clarissa M. Young Cora Reynolds Anderson Lucile E. Belen Theresa Maxis Duchemin Aretha Franklin Francie Kraker Goodridge Marian Bayoff Ilitch Mary Ellen Riordan Joesphine Stern Weiner 2002 Hortense Golden Canady Julia Wheelock Freeman May Stocking Knaggs Naomi Long Madgett Lucille Hanna McCollough Lana Pollack Martha Louise Rayne Muriel Dorothy Ross 2003 Mary Agnes Blair Verne Burbridge Nellie Cuellar Alice Scanlan Kocel Joyce Lewis Kornbluh Eliza Seaman Leggett Ida Lippman Marion ' Babe ' Ruth Bernice `` B '' Steadman Pamela Withrow Ruth Zweifler Geraldine Bledsoe Ford Jennifer Mulhern Granholm Lystra Gretter Florine Mark Cathy McClelland Constance Mayfield Rourke 2005 Margaret M. Chiara Eva Lois Evans Georgia A. Lewis Johnson Lida Holmes Mattman Olivia Maynard Deborah Stabenow Caroline Thrun Margaret Sellers Walker Elizabeth Weaver 2006 Cynthia Yao Mary Esther Daddazio Margery Feliksa Nancy Hammond Viola Liuzzo Marge Piercy Dora Hall Stockman Martha Strickland Clark Helen Hornbeck Tanner 2007 Mary Brown Gertrude Buck Emma Cole Haifa Fakhouri Carolyn Geisel Jane Briggs Hart Abigail Rogers Kathleen Wilbur Woman 's Hospital Association ( charter members ) 2008 Carol Atkins Patricia Cuza Carol King Vicki Neiberg James Johnston Schoolcraft Leta Snow Mary Francilene Van de Vyver 2009 Carol Atkins Grace Lee Boggs Margaret Chandler Ruth Ellis Edna Ferber Glenda Lappan Kay Givens McGowan Elizabeth Phillips Jessica Rickert Betty Tableman Marlo Thomas 2010 -- 2019 Mary Aikey Laura Carter Callow Augusta Jane Chapin Sandra Laser Draggoo Annie Etheridge Sherrill Freeborough Dorean Marguerite Hurley Koenig Terry McMillan Edith Munger Cynthia J. Pasky 2011 Lois A. Bader Jumana Judeh Marilyn Kelly Valeria Lipczynski Edelmira Lopez Kary Moss Rose Mary C. Robinson Patricia Saunders 2012 Gladys Beckwith Patricia Caruso Mary Jane Dockeray Judith Karandjeff Les Meres et Debutantes Club of Greater Lansing Serena Williams L. Anna Ballard Eva McCall Hamilton Mary E. McCoy 2013 Elizabeth W. Bauer Judith Levin Cantor Paula Cunningham Joan Jackson Johnson Gladys McKenney Marina von Neumann Whitman Con - Con Eleven Elizabeth Eaglesfield Harriet Quimby 2014 Elizabeth Lehman Belen MaryLee Davis Jeanne Findlater Dorothy A. Johnson Julie Krone Mary Carmelita Manning Barbara Roberts Mason Marylou Olivarez Mason Andra M. Rush Mary Ellen Sheets Lucille Farrier Stickel 2015 Jocelyn Benson Maxine Berman Sue Carter Janet C. Cooper Mabel White Holmes Candice Miller Esther K. Shapiro Maggie Walz Myra Wolfgang Linda M. Woods 2016 Elizabeth Sparks Adams Anan Ameri Daisy Elliott Faith Fowler Evelyn Golden Olivia Letts Mary Free Bed Guild Diana Ross Lou Anna Kimsey Simon Charlotte Wilson Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 1987 Performers The Coasters ( Carl Gardner, Cornell Gunter, Billy Guy, Dub Jones ) Eddie Cochran Bo Diddley Aretha Franklin Marvin Gaye Bill Haley B.B. King Clyde McPhatter Ricky Nelson Roy Orbison Carl Perkins Smokey Robinson Big Joe Turner Muddy Waters Jackie Wilson Early influences Louis Jordan T - Bone Walker Hank Williams Non-performers ( Ahmet Ertegun Award ) Leonard Chess Ahmet Ertegün Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller Jerry Wexler VIAF : 71577926 LCCN : n84028907 ISNI : 0000 0001 1447 6112 GND : 118967622 SELIBR : 313776 SUDOC : 087931591 BNF : cb13894129s ( data ) BIBSYS : 56662 MusicBrainz : 2f9ecbed - 27be - 40e6 - abca - 6de49d50299e NLA : 35985429 NDL : 001226753 NKC : js20020429008 BNE : XX875896 IATH : w66m7kh9 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aretha_Franklin&oldid=810213141 '' Categories : American singer - songwriters African - American female singers Aretha Franklin albums 1942 births Living people Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductees Grammy Award winners Grammy Legend Award Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Kennedy Center honorees Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees United States National Medal of Arts recipients African - American female singer - songwriters African - American pianists African - American singer - songwriters African - American singers African - American songwriters American dance musicians American female pop singers American female rock singers American female singer - songwriters American gospel singers American mezzo - sopranos American pop singers American pop rock singers American rock singers American rhythm and blues singer - songwriters American rhythm and blues singers Rhythm and blues pianists African - American feminists American feminists Feminist musicians Baptist feminists African - American Christians Baptists from the United States Aretha Franklin songs Arista Records artists Atlantic Records artists Checker Records artists Columbia Records artists RCA Records artists Michigan Democrats Tennessee Democrats Musicians from Detroit Musicians from Memphis, Tennessee Singers from Detroit Songwriters from Michigan Songwriters from Tennessee 20th - century American musicians 21st - century American musicians 20th - century American singers 21st - century American singers 20th - century Baptists 21st - century Baptists 20th - century women musicians 21st - century women musicians Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from June 2016 Webarchive template wayback links Wikipedia pending changes protected pages ( level 1 ) Use mdy dates from June 2017 Articles with hCards Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2017 AC with 14 elements Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers Wikipedia articles with NLA identifiers Wikipedia articles with SNAC - ID identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Aragonés Asturianu Azərbaycanca Bân - lâm - gú Беларуская Български Català Чӑвашла Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Davvisámegiella Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Hausa Հայերեն Hrvatski Ido Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית ქართული Kiswahili Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Magyar Malagasy മലയാളം მარგალური Bahasa Melayu Nederlands नेपाल भाषा 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan Polski Português Română Русский Sardu Scots Shqip Simple English Slovenčina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt Winaray Yorùbá 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 13 November 2017, at 23 : 46. 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Question: aretha franklin’s first record contract was with which label
Answer: Columbia Records