Aretha Franklin

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American singer, songwriter, and pianistTemplate:SHORTDESC:American singer, songwriter, and pianist[[Category:**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Pagetype/config' not found.**s with short description]]

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* Singer
* songwriter
* actress
* pianist
* activist
 Relatives | * Erma Franklin (sister)
* Carolyn Franklin (sister)

* Soul
* R&B
* pop
* gospel
* dance
* Vocals
* piano
* J.V.B
* Columbia
* Atlantic
* Arista
* RCA

**Aretha Louise Franklin** (March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Franklin began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father C. L. Franklin was minister. At the age of 18, she embarked on a secular-music career as a recording artist for Columbia Records. While Franklin's career did not immediately flourish, she found acclaim and commercial success after signing with Atlantic Records in 1966. Hit songs such as "Respect", "Chain of Fools", "Think", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)", and "I Say a Little Prayer", propelled her past her musical peers. By the end of the 1960s, Aretha Franklin had come to be known as "**The Queen of Soul**".

Franklin continued to record acclaimed 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 her record company. Franklin left Atlantic in 1979 and signed with Arista Records. She appeared in the 1980 film *The Blues Brothers* before releasing the successful albums *Jump to It* (1982), *Who's Zoomin' Who?* (1985), and *Aretha* (1986) on the Arista label. In 1998, Franklin returned to the Top 40 with the Lauryn Hill-produced song "A Rose Is Still a Rose"; later, she released an album of the same name which was certified gold. That same year, Franklin earned international acclaim for her performance of "Nessun dorma" at the Grammy Awards; she filled in at the last minute for Luciano Pavarotti, who canceled his appearance after the show had already begun. In a widely noted performance, she paid tribute to 2015 honoree Carole King by singing "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" at the Kennedy Center Honors.

Franklin recorded 112 charted singles on *Billboard*, including 77 Hot 100 entries, 17 top-ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries, and 20 number-one R&B singles. She is the most charted female artist in history. Franklin's well-known hits include "Rock Steady", "Call Me", "Ain't No Way", "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)", "Spanish Harlem", "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", and "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (a duet with George Michael). She won 18 Grammy Awards, including the first eight awards given for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (1968–1975). Franklin is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide.

Franklin received numerous honors throughout her career. She was awarded the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1987, she became the first female performer to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She also was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2010, *Rolling Stone* magazine ranked her number one on its list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" and number nine on its list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2019 awarded Franklin a posthumous special citation "for her indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades."

## Early life

 File:Aretha Franklin birthplace 406 Lucy Ave Memphis TN 06.jpg
Aretha Louise Franklin was born on March 25, 1942, to Barbara (née Siggers) and Clarence LaVaughn "C. L." Franklin. She was delivered at her family's home located at 406 Lucy Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee. Her father was a Baptist minister and circuit preacher originally from Shelby, Mississippi, while her mother was an accomplished piano player and vocalist.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** Both Mr. and Mrs. Franklin had children from prior relationships in addition to the four children they had together. When Aretha was two, the family relocated to Buffalo, New York. By the time Aretha turned five, C. L. Franklin had permanently relocated the family to Detroit, where he took over the pastorship of the New Bethel Baptist Church.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.**

The Franklins had a troubled marriage due to Mr. Franklin's infidelities, and they separated in 1948.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** At that time, Barbara Franklin returned to Buffalo with Aretha's half brother, Vaughn.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** After the separation, Aretha recalled seeing her mother in Buffalo during the summer, and Barbara Franklin frequently visited her children in Detroit.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.****Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** Aretha's mother died of a heart attack on March 7, 1952, before Aretha's tenth birthday.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** Several women, including Aretha's grandmother, Rachel, and Mahalia Jackson, took turns helping with the children at the Franklin home.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** During this time, Aretha learned how to play piano by ear.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** She also attended public school in Detroit, going through her freshman year at Northern High School, but dropping out during her sophomore year.

Aretha's father's emotionally driven sermons resulted in his being known as the man with the "million-dollar voice". He earned thousands of dollars for sermons in various churches across the country.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.****Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** His celebrity status led to his home being visited by various celebrities. Among the visitors were gospel musicians Clara Ward, James Cleveland, and early Caravans members Albertina Walker and Inez Andrews. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke all became friends of C. L. Franklin, as well.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** Ward was romantically involved with Aretha's father from around 1949 to Ward's death in 1973, though Aretha "preferred to view them strictly as friends".**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** Ward also served as a role model to the young Aretha.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.**
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## 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".**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** When Franklin was 12, her father began managing her; he would bring her on the road with him during his so-called "gospel caravan" tours for her to perform in various churches.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** He also helped her sign her first recording deal with J.V.B. Records. Recording equipment was installed inside New Bethel Baptist Church and nine tracks were recorded. Franklin was featured on vocals and piano. In 1956, J.V.B. released Franklin's first single, "Never Grow Old", backed with "You Grow Closer". "Precious Lord (Part One)" backed with "Precious Lord (Part Two)" followed in 1959. These four tracks, with the addition of "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood", were released on side one of the 1956 album, *Spirituals*. This was reissued by Battle Records in 1962 under the same title. In 1965, Checker Records released *Songs of Faith*, featuring the five tracks from the 1956 *Spirituals* album, with the addition of four previously unreleased recordings.

During this time, Franklin would occasionally travel with The Soul Stirrers. As a young gospel singer, Franklin spent summers on the gospel circuit in Chicago and stayed with Mavis Staples' family.
According to music producer Quincy Jones, while Franklin was still young, Dinah Washington let him know, "Aretha was the 'next one'". In 1958, Franklin and her father traveled to California, where she met singer Sam Cooke.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** At the age of 16, Franklin went on tour with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and she would ultimately sing at his funeral in 1968.

After turning 18, Franklin confided to her father that she aspired to follow Sam Cooke in recording pop music, and moved to New York.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** Serving as her manager, C. L. Franklin 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".**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** 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 sign her with his label, RCA, but his request was denied. Record label owner Berry Gordy was also looking to sign Franklin and her elder sister Erma to his Tamla label. However, C.L. Franklin felt the label was not yet established enough, and he turned Gordy down. Franklin's first Columbia single, "Today I Sing the Blues", was issued in September 1960 and later reached the top 10 of the Hot Rhythm & Blues Sellers chart.

### Columbia (1961–1966)

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, "Won't Be Long", which also peaked at number 7 on the R&B chart.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** Mostly produced by Clyde Otis, Franklin's Columbia recordings saw her performing in diverse genres such as standards, vocal jazz, blues, doo-wop and rhythm and blues. Before the year was out, Franklin scored her first hit single with her rendition of the standard "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody". "Rock-a-Bye" became her first international hit, reaching the top 40 in Australia and Canada.Template:Citation needed By the end of 1961, Franklin was named as a "new-star female vocalist" in *DownBeat* magazine.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** In 1962, Columbia issued two more albums, *The Electrifying Aretha Franklin* and *The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin*, the latter of which reached No. 69 on the *Billboard* chart.

In the 1960s, during a performance at the Regal Theater, WVON radio personality Pervis Spann announced that Franklin should be crowned "the Queen of Soul". Spann ceremonially placed a crown on her head. By 1964, Franklin began recording more pop music, reaching the top 10 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 making $100,000 per year from countless performances in nightclubs and theaters.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** Also during that period, she appeared on rock-and-roll shows such as *Hollywood A Go-Go* and *Shindig!*. However, she struggled with commercial success while at Columbia. Label 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 period there.

### Atlantic (1967–1979)

In November 1966, Franklin's Columbia recording contract expired and she chose to move to Atlantic Records. In January 1967, she traveled to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to record at FAME Studios and recorded the song "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)", backed by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. Franklin only spent one day recording at FAME, as an altercation broke out between her manager and husband Ted White, studio owner Rick Hall, and a horn player, and sessions were abandoned. The song was released the following month and reached 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 reached number one on both the R&B and pop charts. "Respect" became her signature song and was later hailed as a civil rights and feminist anthem.

 File:Aretha franklin 1960s cropped retouched.jpg
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". Her 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 her most popular hit singles, including "Chain of Fools", "Ain't No Way", "Think" and "I Say a Little Prayer". That February, Franklin earned the first two of her Grammys, including the debut category for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. On February 16, Franklin was honored with a day named for her and was greeted by longtime friend Martin Luther King Jr., who gave her the SCLC Drum Beat Award for Musicians two months before his death.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.****Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.****Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** Franklin toured outside the US for the first time in May, including an appearance at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, where she played to a near hysterical audience who covered the stage with flower petals. She appeared on the cover of *Time* magazine in June.

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Franklin's success expanded during the early 1970s, during which she recorded the multi-week R&B number one "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)", as well as the top-ten singles "Spanish Harlem", "Rock Steady" and "Day Dreaming". Some of these releases were from the acclaimed albums *Spirit in the Dark* and *Young, Gifted and Black*. In 1971, Franklin became the first R&B performer to headline Fillmore West, later that year releasing the live album *Aretha Live at Fillmore West*. She returned to Gospel music in a two-night, live-church recording, with the album, *Amazing Grace*, in which she reinterpreted standards such as Mahalia Jackson's "How I Got Over". *Amazing Grace* sold more than two million copies. The live performances were filmed for the purpose of a concert film directed by Sydney Pollack, but due to synching problems and Franklin's own attempts to prevent the film's distribution, its release was only realized by producer Alan Elliott in November 2018. 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 bombedTemplate:Citation needed 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.Template:Citation needed 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* (1977), *Almighty Fire* (1978) and *La Diva* (1979), bombed on the charts,Template:Citation needed and in 1979 Franklin left the company.

### Arista (1980–2007)

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In 1980, after leaving Atlantic Records, Franklin signed with Clive Davis's Arista Records and that same year gave a command performance at London's Royal Albert Hall in front of Queen Elizabeth. Franklin also had an acclaimed guest role as a soul food restaurant proprietor and wife of Matt "Guitar" Murphy in the 1980 comedy musical *The Blues Brothers*. Franklin's first Arista album, *Aretha* (1980), featured the No. 3 R&B hit "United Together" and her Grammy-nominated cover of Redding's "I Can'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 achieved a gold record—for the first time in seven years—with the 1982 album *Jump to It*. The album's title track was her first top-40 single on the pop charts in six years. The following year, she released "Get It Right", produced by Luther Vandross.
In 1985, inspired by a desire to have a "younger sound" in her music, *Who's Zoomin' Who?* became her first Arista album to be certified platinum. The album sold well over a million copies thanks to the hits "Freeway of Love", the title track, and "Another Night". The next 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 TV 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. The same year, Franklin performed "America the Beautiful" at WWE's Wrestlemania III, the company's third annual "entertainment spectacular", in her home state of Michigan.Template:Citation needed Franklin's 1991 album, *What You See is What You Sweat*, flopped on the charts. She 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 1995, she was selected to play Aunt Em in the Apollo Theater revival of *The Wiz*. Franklin's final top 40 single was 1998's "A Rose Is Still a Rose". The album of the same name was released after the single. It sold in excess of 500,000 copies; earning a gold album.

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That same year, Franklin received global praise after her 1998 Grammy Awards performance. She had initially been asked to come and perform in honor of the 1980 *The Blues Brothers* film in which she appeared with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. That evening after the show had already begun, Luciano Pavarotti himself contacted show producers and said he was too ill to perform the opera aria "Nessun dorma" as planned. The show's producers were desperate to fill the time slot, and approached Franklin with their dilemma. She was a friend of Pavarotti, and had sung the selection two nights prior at the annual MusiCares event. She asked to hear Pavarotti's rehearsal recording, and after listening, agreed that she could sing it in the tenor range that the orchestra was prepared to play in. Over one billion people worldwide saw the performance, and she received an immediate standing ovation. She would go on to record the selection, and perform it live several more times in the years to come; the last time being in Philadelphia for Pope Francis at the World Meeting of Families in September 2015. A small boy was so touched by her performance that he came onto the stage and embraced her while Franklin was still singing.

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 more than 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. In February 2006 she performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" with Aaron Neville and Dr. John for Super Bowl XL, held in her hometown of Detroit.

### Later years (2008–2018)

On January 20, 2009, Franklin 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*.

 File:Aretha Franklin 2015.jpg
In 2014, Franklin was signed under RCA Records, controller of the Arista catalog and a sister label to Columbia via Sony Music Entertainment, and worked with Clive Davis. An album was planned with producers Babyface and Danger Mouse. 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 "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" on the *Late Show with David Letterman*. Franklin's cover of "Rolling in the Deep" was featured among nine other songs in her first RCA release, *Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics*, released in October 2014. In doing so, she 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, Franklin dropped her fur coat to the stage, for which the audience rewarded her with a mid-performance standing ovation. She returned to Detroit's Ford Field on Thanksgiving Day 2016 to once again perform the national anthem before the game between the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions. Seated behind the piano, wearing a black fur coat and Lions stocking cap, Franklin gave a rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" that lasted more than four minutes and featured a host of improvizations. Franklin released the album *A Brand New Me* in November 2017 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which uses archived recordings from Franklin. It peaked at number 5 on the *Billboard* Top Classical Albums chart before her death and rose to number 2 after her death.Template:Citation needed

While Franklin canceled some concerts in 2017 due to health reasons, and during an outdoor Detroit show, she asked the audience to "keep me in your prayers", she was still garnering highly favorable reviews for her skill and showmanship. At the Ravinia Festival on September 3, 2017, she gave her last full concert. Franklin's final performance was at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City during Elton John's 25th anniversary gala for the Elton John AIDS Foundation on November 7, 2017.

## Music style and image

 File:Aretha Franklin, The Gospel Tradition In Performance at the White House, 2015.jpg
According to Richie Unterberger, Franklin was "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 had often been described as a great singer and musician due to "vocal flexibility, interpretive intelligence, skillful piano-playing, her ear, her experience".**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** Franklin's voice was described as being a "powerful mezzo-soprano voice". She was praised for her arrangements and interpretations of other artists' hit songs.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** According to David Remnick, what "distinguishes her is not merely the breadth of her catalogue or the cataract force of her vocal instrument; it's her musical intelligence, her way of singing behind the beat, of spraying a wash of notes over a single word or syllable, of constructing, moment by moment, the emotional power of a three-minute song. 'Respect' is as precise an artifact as a Ming vase". Describing Franklin's voice as that of a youngster on her first album, *Songs of Faith*, released in 1956 when she was just 14, Jerry Wexler explained that it "was not that of a child but rather of an ecstatic hierophant".**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** Critic Randy Lewis assessed her skills as a pianist as "magic" and "inspirational". Musicians and professionals alike such as Elton John, Keith Richards, Carole King, and Clive Davis were fans of her piano performances.

In 2015, then-President Barack Obama wrote the following regarding Franklin:

> 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. American history wells up when Aretha sings. That's why, when she sits down at a piano and sings 'A Natural Woman,' she can move me to tears — the same way that Ray Charles's version of 'America the Beautiful' will always be in my view the most patriotic piece of music ever performed — because it captures the fullness of the American experience, the view from the bottom as well as the top, the good and the bad, and the possibility of synthesis, reconciliation, transcendence.
>
>

## Civil rights activism

From her time growing up in the home of a prominent African-American preacher to the end of her life, Franklin was immersed and involved in the struggle for civil rights and women's rights. She provided money for civil rights groups, at times covering payroll, and performed at benefits and protests. When Angela Davis was jailed in 1970, Franklin told *Jet*: "Angela Davis must go free ... Black people will be free. I've been locked up (for disturbing the peace in Detroit) and I know you got to disturb the peace when you can't get no peace. Jail is hell to be in. I'm going to see her free if there is any justice in our courts, not because I believe in communism, but because she's a Black woman and she wants freedom for Black people". Her songs "Respect" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" became anthems of these movements for social change. Franklin and several other American icons declined to take part in performing at President Donald Trump's 2017 inauguration as a large-scale act of musical protest.

Franklin was also a strong supporter for Native American rights. She quietly and without fanfare supported Indigenous Peoples' struggles worldwide, and numerous movements that supported Native American and First Nation cultural rights.

## Personal life

After being raised in Detroit, Franklin relocated in the 1960s to New York City, 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 maintained a residence there until her death. Following an incident in 1984, she cited a fear of flying that prevented her from traveling overseas; she performed only in North America afterwards.

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Franklin was the mother of four sons. She first became pregnant at the age of 12 and gave birth to her first child, named Clarence after her father,**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** on January 28, 1955. The father was widely believed and reported to be "Donald Burk, a boy she knew from school"; however, in one of her handwritten wills discovered in 2019, Franklin revealed the father was Edward Jordan. On August 31, 1957, Franklin had a second child with Jordan, named Edward Derone FranklinTemplate:Cn after his father. Franklin did not like to discuss her early pregnancies with interviewers.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** Both 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.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** Franklin would visit them often.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** Franklin's third child, Ted White Jr., was born to Franklin and her then-husband Theodore "Ted" White in February 1964 and is known professionally as Teddy Richards. He provided guitar backing for his mother's band during live concerts. Her youngest son, Kecalf Cunningham, was born in April 1970 and is the child of her road manager Ken Cunningham.

Franklin was married twice. Her first husband was Ted White, whom she married in 1961 at the age of 19. Franklin had actually seen White the first time at a party held at her house in 1954.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** After a contentious marriage that involved domestic violence, Franklin separated from White in 1968 and divorced him in 1969.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** Franklin 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. In 2012, Franklin had plans to marry her longtime companion Willie Wilkerson. She and Wilkerson had been engaged twice before. Franklin eventually called off the 2012 engagement.

Franklin's sisters, Erma and Carolyn, were professional musicians 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 in April 1988 from breast cancer, while eldest sister Erma died from throat cancer in September 2002. Franklin's half-brother Vaughn died in late 2002. Her half-sister, Carol Kelley (née Jennings; born 1940), 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.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** After six months at Henry Ford Hospital while still in a 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.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.**

Franklin's music business friends included Dionne Warwick, Mavis Staples, and Cissy Houston, who began singing with Franklin as members of the Sweet Inspirations. Houston sang background on Franklin's hit "Ain't No Way". Franklin first met Cissy's daughter, Whitney, in the early 1970s. She was made Whitney's honorary aunt (not a godmother as has been occasionally misreported), and Whitney often referred to her as "Auntie Ree". Franklin had to cancel plans to perform at Whitney Houston's memorial service on February 18, 2012, due to a leg spasm.

Franklin was a Christian and was a registered Democrat.

### Health

Franklin had weight issues for many years. In 1974, she lost 40 pounds (18 kg) on a crash diet**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** and maintained her new weight until the end of the decade.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** She again lost weight in the early 1990s, before gaining some back. A former chain smoker who struggled with alcoholism, she quit smoking in 1992.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** She admitted in 1994 that her smoking was "messing with my voice",**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** but after quitting smoking she said later, in 2003, that her weight "ballooned".**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.**

In 2010, Franklin canceled a number of concerts to have surgery for an undisclosed tumor. Discussing the surgery in 2011, she quoted her doctor as saying that it would "add 15 to 20 years" to her life. She denied that the ailment had anything to do with pancreatic cancer, as had been reported. On May 19, 2011, Franklin had her comeback show at the Chicago Theatre. In May 2013, she canceled two performances because of an undisclosed medical treatment. Later the same month, she canceled two June concerts and planned to "resume her touring schedule in July". A show scheduled for July 27 in Clarkston, Michigan, was canceled due to continued medical treatment. She canceled an appearance at a Major League Baseball luncheon in Chicago honoring her commitment to civil rights on August 24 and also a performance on September 21 in Atlanta, Georgia. During a phone interview with the Associated Press in late August 2013, Franklin stated that she had had a "miraculous" recovery from her undisclosed illness but had to cancel shows and appearances until her health was at 100%, estimating she was about "85% healed". Franklin later returned to live performing, including a 2013 Christmas concert at Detroit's MotorCity Casino Hotel. She launched a multi-city tour in mid-2014, starting with a performance on June 14 in New York at Radio City Music Hall.

In February 2017, Franklin announced that 2017 would be her final year touring. However, she scheduled some 2018 concert dates, before cancelling them based on her physician's advice.

### Death and funeral

On August 13, 2018, Franklin was reported to be gravely ill at her home in Riverfront Towers, Detroit. She was under hospice care and surrounded by friends and family. Stevie Wonder, Jesse Jackson and ex-husband Glynn Turman visited her on her deathbed. Franklin died at her home on August 16, 2018, aged 76, without a will. The cause of death was a malignant pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (pNET), which is distinct from the most-common form of pancreatic cancer. Numerous celebrities in the entertainment industry and politicians paid tribute to Franklin, including former U.S. president Barack Obama who said she "helped define the American experience". Civil rights activist and minister Al Sharpton called her a "civil rights and humanitarian icon".

A memorial service was held at New Bethel Baptist Church on August 19. Thousands then paid their respects during the public lying-in-repose at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. The August 31 Homegoing Service held at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, included multiple tributes by celebrities, politicians, friends and family members and was streamed by some news agencies such as Fox News, CNN, The Word Network, BET and MSNBC. Among those who paid tribute to Aretha at the service were Ariana Grande, Bill Clinton, Rev. Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakhan, Faith Hill, Fantasia, The Clark Sisters, Ronald Isley, Chaka Khan, Jennifer Holliday, Loretta Devine, Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Shirley Caesar, Stevie Wonder, Eric Holder, Gladys Knight, Cedric the Entertainer, Tyler Perry, Smokey Robinson, and Yolanda Adams. At her request she was eulogized by Rev. Jasper Williams Jr. of Salem Baptist Church in Atlanta, as Williams had eulogized her father as well as speaking at other family memorials. Williams's eulogy was criticized for being "a political address that described children being in a home without a father as 'abortion after birth' and said black lives do not matter unless blacks stop killing each other". Franklin's nephew Vaughan complained of Williams: "He spoke for 50 minutes and at no time did he properly eulogize her".

Following a telecast procession up Seven Mile Road, Franklin was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit.

## Legacy and honors

 File:Aretha Franklin honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.jpg
Franklin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1979, had her voice declared a Michigan "natural resource" in 1985,**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** and became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences 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.**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor\_id\_list' not found.** She was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in 2005, and the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2015. Franklin became 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. In 2019 she was awarded a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation "[f]or her indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades." Franklin was the first individual woman to receive a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation.

In 2010 Franklin was ranked first on *Rolling Stone* magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" and ninth on their list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". 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 19th among the *Billboard* Hot 100 All-Time top artists.

When *Rolling Stone* listed the "Women in Rock: 50 Essential Albums" in 2002 and again 2012, it listed Franklin's 1967, "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You", number one. Inducted to the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012, Franklin was 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. In 2018, Franklin was inducted in to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.

"American history wells up when Aretha sings", President Obama explained in 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". Franklin later recalled the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors as one of the best nights of her life. 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". On January 29, 2018, Gary Graff confirmed that Jennifer Hudson will play Franklin in an upcoming biopic.

### Honorary degrees

Franklin received honorary degrees from Harvard University and New York University in 2014, as well as honorary doctorates in music from Princeton University, 2012; Yale University, 2010; Brown University, 2009; University of Pennsylvania, 2007; Berklee College of Music, 2006; New England Conservatory of Music, 1997; and University of Michigan, 1987. She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Case Western Reserve University 2011 and Wayne State University in 1990 and an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Bethune–Cookman University in 1975.

### Tributes

After Franklin's death, fans added unofficial tributes to two New York City Subway stations: the Franklin Street station in Manhattan, served by the Template:NYCS trains, and the Franklin Avenue station in Brooklyn, served by the Template:NYCS trains. Both stations were originally named after other people. Although the fan tributes were later taken down, the subway system's operator, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, placed temporary black-and-white stickers with the word "Respect" next to the "Franklin" name signs in each station.

During the American Music Awards on October 9, 2018, the show was closed by bringing Gladys Knight, Donnie McClurkin, Ledisi, Cece Winans, and Mary Mary together to pay tribute to Aretha Franklin. The "all-star" group performed gospel songs, including renditions from Franklin's 1972 album, *Amazing Grace*.

A tribute concert, "Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul", was organized by CBS and The Recording Academy on January 13, 2019, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The concert included performances by Smokey Robinson, Janelle Monáe, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, Celine Dion, Alessia Cara, Patti LaBelle, Jennifer Hudson, Chloe x Halle, H.E.R., SZA, Brandi Carlile, Yolanda Adams and Shirley Caesar, and was recorded for television, airing on March 10.

At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, the ceremony was ended with a memorial tribute to the life and career of Franklin. It concluded with a rendition of her 1968 hit, "A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel Like)," by Fantasia Barrino-Taylor, Andra Day and Yolanda Adams.

### In other media

On February 10, 2019, it was announced that the subject of the third season of the American National Geographic anthology television series *Genius* would be Franklin, in the "first-ever, definitive scripted miniseries on the life of the universally acclaimed Queen of Soul". Filming is set to commence in mid-2019, for an early-2020 release.

### Loss of materials

On June 25, 2019, *The New York Times Magazine* listed Aretha Franklin among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

## Discography

*Main article: Aretha Franklin discography*
**Studio albums**

* *Aretha: With The Ray Bryant Combo* (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)
* *I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You* (1967)
* *Aretha Arrives* (1967)
* *Lady Soul* (1968)
* *Aretha Now* (1968)
* *Soul '69* (1969)
* *Soft and Beautiful* (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)
* *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)
* *This Christmas, Aretha* (2008)
* *Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love* (2011)
* *Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics* (2014)

## Filmography

* 1972: *Black Rodeo* (documentary)
* 1980: *The Blues Brothers* (as Mrs. Murphy)
* 1990: *Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones* (documentary)
* 1998: *Blues Brothers 2000* (as Mrs. Murphy)
* 2003: *Tom Dowd & the Language of Music* (documentary)
* 2012: *The Zen of Bennett* (documentary)
* 2013: *Muscle Shoals* (documentary)
* 2018: *Amazing Grace* (documentary)

## See also

Template:Portal
Template:Wikipedia books

* List of awards and nominations received by Aretha Franklin

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Unterberger, Richie. "Aretha Franklin | Biography & History". https://www.allmusic.com/artist/aretha-franklin-mn0000927555/biography. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
2. ↑ Farber, Jim (August 16, 2018). "Aretha Franklin's 20 Essential Songs", *The New York Times*.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Grammys Producer Ken Ehrlich on Aretha Franklin's Last-Minute, Showstopping 1998 Opera Moment: 'She Was Incomparable'", *Billboard*, Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group (August 16, 2018). Retrieved on August 17, 2018.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "When Aretha Franklin stepped in for Pavarotti at the last minute to perform Nessun Dorma", *The Independent* (August 16, 2018). Retrieved on August 17, 2018.
5. ↑ "Aretha Franklin" (in en). March 17, 2014. https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/aretha-franklin.
6. ↑ Wang, Amy (September 5, 2018). "Aretha Franklin's Estate Is Worth $80 Million. What Happens Now?", *Rolling Stone*. Retrieved on September 5, 2018.
7. ↑ "Aretha Franklin inducted into Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2015.", *Detroit Free Press*.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "100 Greatest Singers: Aretha Franklin". December 3, 2010. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-singers-of-all-time-19691231/aretha-franklin-20101202.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". December 3, 2010. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231/aretha-franklin-20110420.
10. ↑ "Sister Ree's Scrapbook, An Aretha Franklin Photo Gallery 13". http://www.morethings.com/music/aretha\_franklin/photo\_gallery13.htm.
11. ↑ "Aretha Franklin Biography and Interview". American Academy of Achievement. https://www.achievement.org/achiever/aretha-franklin/#interview.
12. ↑ "Northern High School". historicdetroit.org. http://historicdetroit.org/building/northern-high-school/.
13. ↑ Reich, Howard (December 19, 2012). "Inez Andrews: A towering gospel artist". ; Hevesi, Dennis (December 21, 2012). "Inez Andrews, Gospel Singer, Dies at 83".
14. ↑ Graham, Adam (June 22, 2018). "Aretha Franklin: Lifelong commitment to Detroit". https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/michigan/michiganians-of-year/2018/06/21/aretha-franklin-lifelong-commitment-detroit-michiganian-year-detroit-news-lifetime-achievement-award/720527002.
15. ↑ Hoekstra, Dave (May 12, 2011). "Aretha Franklin's roots of soul", *Chicago Sun-Times*. Archived from the original on June 22, 2012.
16. ↑ "Pickwick Group Ltd – Aretha Franklin – Songs Of Faith" (in en). http://www.pickwickgroup.com/catalogue/details/717042. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
17. ↑ "J.V.B./Battle Album Discography". http://www.bsnpubs.com/detroit/battle.html. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
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21. ↑ "Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, Dead at 76", *Rolling Stone* (August 16, 2018). Retrieved on August 16, 2018. "At 16, she went on tour with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and later sang at his funeral."
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Template:Gilliland
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25. ↑ "The Electrifying Aretha Franklin". https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-electrifying-aretha-franklin-mw0001879047.
26. ↑ "The Tender, The Moving, The Swinging Aretha Franklin". https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-tender-the-moving-the-swinging-aretha-franklin-mw0000849065. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
27. ↑ "Aretha Franklin". Clinton Presidential Library. https://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/exhibits/show/rock/franklin. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
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31. ↑ "Aretha Franklin: 18 major events in the singer's life", Associated Press, *The Chicago Tribune* (August 16, 2018). Retrieved on August 18, 2018.
32. ↑ Brown, Mick. "Deep Soul".
33. ↑ "'Respect' Wasn't A Feminist Anthem Until Aretha Franklin Made It One" (in en), *NPR.org* (February 14, 2017).
34. ↑ 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).
35. ↑ "Aretha Franklin: Amsterdam 1968", *Jazz News* (July 3, 2015).
36. ↑ "*TIME Magazine* cover: Aretha Franklin", *Time* (June 28, 1968).
37. ↑ "Aretha Franklin songs". Archived from the original on January 20, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120120044822/http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/aretha-franklin/songs.  – from the Bill Graham archives; requires free login.
38. ↑ Kot, Greg (October 21, 2014). "How Mahalia Jackson defined the 'I Have a Dream' speech" (in en), *BBC*. Retrieved on August 28, 2018.
39. ↑ Suggs, Ernie (August 16, 2018). "Aretha Franklin's 'Amazing Grace'" (in en), *Atlanta Journal Constitution*. Retrieved on August 29, 2018.
40. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (November 13, 2018). "DOC NYC Film Review: 'Amazing Grace'". Variety Media, LLC. https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/amazing-grace-review-aretha-franklin-1203027289/. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
41. ↑ Smith, Ebonie. "Aretha Franklin & the Art of Musical Partnership". Atlantic Records. http://www.atlanticrecords.com/posts/aretha-franklin-art-musical-partnership-18201.
42. ↑ "Aretha Franklin: Gospel and Glamour", *The New York Times* (October 11, 1981). Template:ProQuest.
43. ↑ Blistein, Jon; Blistein, Jon (2018-08-16). "Clive Davis Mourns Aretha Franklin: 'Truly One of a Kind'" (in en-US). https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/clive-davis-remembers-aretha-franklin-truly-one-of-a-kind-711990/.
44. ↑ Fleming Jr, Mike (August 16, 2018). "John Landis, Who Directed Aretha Franklin's Only Two Movies, Remembers Her 'Blues Brothers' Turns". https://deadline.com/2018/08/john-landis-aretha-franklin-the-blues-brothers-reminisces-john-belushi-dan-aykroyd-1202447056/.
45. ↑ Lifton, Dave; Wilkening, Matthew (August 16, 2018). "Aretha Franklin Year By Year Photos". 1440 WROK NewsTalk. http://1440wrok.com/aretha-franklin-year-by-year-photos/.
46. ↑ "Aretha Franklin – Jump To It". https://www.billboard.com/music/Aretha-Franklin/chart-history/dance-club-play-songs/song/28163.
47. ↑ Shewey, Don (September 15, 1983). "Get It Right". https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/get-it-right-255411/. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
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51. ↑ "American album certifications – Aretha Franklin – A Rose Is Still a Rose". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.. https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab\_active=default-award&ar=Aretha+Franklin&ti=A+Rose+Is+Still+a+Rose#search\_section. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
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53. ↑ "Jewels in the Crown: All Star Duets with the Queen". https://www.allmusic.com/album/jewels-in-the-crown-all-star-duets-with-the-queen-mw0000750042.
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55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 Rosenthal, Lauren (May 24, 2010). "Univ. confers 3,243 degrees at 309th Commencement", *Yale Daily News*. Archived from the original on September 25, 2012.
56. ↑ "Q&A: Aretha Franklin talks about Gospelfest and new album", *The Washington Post* (May 10, 2013). Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore
57. ↑ Friedman, Roger (September 30, 2014). "Aretha Franklin Gets Standing Ovation from Letterman Audience With Knockout Performance". http://www.showbiz411.com/2014/09/30/aretha-franklin-gets-standing-ovation-from-letterman-audience-with-knockout-performance.
58. ↑ "Sings the Great Diva Classics – Aretha Franklin". https://www.allmusic.com/album/sings-the-great-diva-classics-mw0002760429.
59. ↑ "Aretha Franklin becomes first woman to join R&B chart's 100 club", *Daily Express* (October 9, 2014).
60. ↑ Miller, Matt (December 30, 2015). "Aretha Franklin Just Brought the Leader of the Free World to Tears". http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/news/a40849/aretha-franklin-obama-kennedy-center/.
61. ↑ Greer, Carlos (December 9, 2015). "Aretha Franklin stuns at Kennedy Center Honors". http://pagesix.com/2015/12/08/aretha-franklin-stuns-at-kennedy-center-honors/.
62. ↑ Hattenstone, Simon (December 30, 2015). "Obama cries as Aretha Franklin proves why she's the queen of soul". https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/dec/30/president-barack-obama-cries-aretha-franklin-kennedy-center.
63. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (December 30, 2015). "Watch Aretha Franklin Bring Obama to Tears at Kennedy Center Honors". Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151230225346/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/watch-aretha-franklin-wow-barack-obama-at-kennedy-center-honors-20151230.
64. ↑ Fennell, Britney (December 30, 2015). "Aretha Franklin Dropping Her Fur Coat at 'Kennedy Center Honors' is Ultimate Life Goals!". http://jawbreaker.nyc/2015/12/aretha-franklin-dropping-her-fur-coat-at-kennedy-center-honors-is-ultimate-life-goals/.
65. ↑ 65.0 65.1 65.2 65.3 Remnick, David (April 4, 2016), "Soul Survivor: The revival and hidden treasure of Aretha Franklin", *The New Yorker*.
66. ↑ "That time Aretha Franklin dazzled America on Thanksgiving with national anthem". WJBK. August 13, 2018. http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/local-news/that-time-aretha-franklin-dazzled-america-on-thanksgiving-with-national-anthem.
67. ↑ McCollum, Brian (November 11, 2017). "Aretha Franklin's classic old records get Royal Philharmonic garnish". https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/2017/11/10/aretha-franklin-classic-old-records-royal-philharmonic-brand-new-me-album/850076001/.
68. ↑ Graham, Adam (June 10, 2017). "Aretha Franklin gives Detroit something to remember", *The Detroit News*.
69. ↑ Cohen, Aaron (April 1, 2017). "Review: Aretha Franklin buoyant at Chicago Theatre", *Chicago Tribune*.
70. ↑ Eskridge, Sonya (July 31, 2017). "The Diva Has Returned: Aretha Franklin Reveals Stunning Weight Loss". https://hellobeautiful.com/2948669/aretha-franklin-reveals-stunning-weight-loss.
71. ↑ Ruggieri, Melissa (August 16, 2018). "Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin dies: A look back at her legacy" (in en), *The Atlanta Journal-Constitution*. Retrieved on September 2, 2018.
72. ↑ Argyrakis, Andy (August 16, 2018). "Relive Aretha Franklin at Ravinia for what wound up being her final full concert ever! – Chicago Concert Reviews" (in en-US). http://chicagoconcertreviews.com/2018/08/16/aretha-franklin/. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
73. ↑ Lynch, Joe (November 8, 2017). "Elton John Celebrates 25 Years of His Foundation With Help From Bill Clinton, Aretha Franklin & Neil Patrick Harris". https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8030152/elton-john-aids-foundation-25-year-gala.
74. ↑ Lewis, Randy (August 16, 2018). "The voice was incredible, but Aretha Franklin at the piano was also pure magic", *Los Angeles Times*.
75. ↑ 75.0 75.1 Bort, Ryan (August 16, 2018), "The Special Bond Between Aretha Franklin and Barack Obama", *Rolling Stone*.
76. ↑ 76.0 76.1 Lang, Cady (August 16, 2018). "Aretha Franklin Had a Huge Impact on the Civil Rights Movement", *Time*. Retrieved on August 21, 2018.
77. ↑ Garcia, Sandra E. (August 17, 2018). "Aretha Franklin, Civil Rights Stalwart: 'In Her Voice, We Could Feel Our History'", *The New York Times*. Retrieved on August 21, 2018.
78. ↑ Weaver, Hilary (August 16, 2018). "Aretha Franklin's History with Civil Rights, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Barack Obama", *Vanity Fair*. Retrieved on August 21, 2018.
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81. ↑ Corré, Addam (October 28, 2014). "The Secret Life Of Aretha Franklin Included A Huge Appetite For Sex, Shopping And Fried Chicken", *The Inquisitr*.
82. ↑ Johnson, Alex (May 21, 2019). "Aretha Franklin's handwritten wills, if real, shed light on a titanic — and complicated — life". https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/music/aretha-franklin-s-handwritten-wills-if-real-shed-light-titanic-n1008611.
83. ↑ Wells, Veronica (October 30, 2014). "Orgies, Attitudes And Anxieties: Biographer Paints Different Portrait Of Aretha Franklin". https://madamenoire.com/484503/biographer-paints-different-portrait-of-aretha-franklin/.
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90. ↑ "Aretha Franklin to get married this summer | Celebrity Buzz". January 2, 2012. http://blog.chron.com/celebritybuzz/2012/01/aretha-franklin-to-get-married-this-summer.
91. ↑ "Aretha Franklin calls off marriage", Associated Press (January 23, 2012).
92. ↑ 92.0 92.1 Salvatore, Nick, *Singing in a Strange Land: C. L. Franklin, the Black Church, and the Transformation of America*, Little Brown, 2005, hardcover Template:ISBN, pp. 61–62.
93. ↑ Friedman, Roger (February 17, 2012). "Who Is Cissy Houston? A Primer", Showbiz411.
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95. ↑ "Aretha Franklin Talks Turning 70 Years Old, Shares Update on Her Health".
96. ↑ Thomasos, Christine (August 22, 2013). "Aretha Franklin Talks Faith, Miraculous Healing" (in English). Retrieved on September 2, 2018.
97. ↑ "Why Aretha Franklin's legacy is inspiring others to write gospel music for the masses" (in English). Premier. August 21, 2018. https://www.premierchristianity.com/Blog/Why-Aretha-Franklin-s-legacy-is-inspiring-others-to-write-gospel-music-for-the-masses. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
98. ↑ 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 said, "I am a Democrat."
99. ↑ Resnikoff, Paul (November 25, 2016), "Aretha Franklin Plays the Longest National Anthem In U.S. History", *Digital Music News*.
100. ↑ 100.0 100.1 World Entertainment News Network (January 10, 2012). "Aretha Franklin Reveals Tumour Scare", *Contact News*.
101. ↑ "Aretha Franklin Sets The Record Straight On Her Health: 'I Don't Know Where Pancreatic Cancer Came From'". January 14, 2011. https://www.accessonline.com/articles/aretha-franklin-sets-the-record-straight-on-her-health-i-dont-know-where-pancreatic-cancer-came-from-95435.
102. ↑ Gendron, Bob (May 20, 2011). "Aretha Franklin sings in Chicago".
103. ↑ Lewis, Randy (May 13, 2013). "Aretha Franklin cancels 2 shows for undisclosed ailment", *Los Angeles Times*.
104. ↑ "Aretha Franklin taking June off, postponing shows", Associated Press, *USA Today* (May 22, 2013).
105. ↑ CBS/AP (July 12, 2013). "Aretha Franklin cancels hometown show citing treatment", CBS News.
106. ↑ Italie, Hillel (August 19, 2013). "Aretha Franklin not attending baseball luncheon", *The Kansas City Star*.
107. ↑ Sheehan, Katie (August 20, 2013). "Aretha Franklin Cancels September Show, Sparking Concerns Over Her Health", *ArtistDirect*. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013.
108. ↑ Staff (August 21, 2013). "Aretha Franklin says she's 85% healed", *USA Today*.
109. ↑ Gundersen, Edna (June 12, 2014). "Aretha Franklin happily sheds weight, embraces future". https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2014/06/12/aretha-franklin-on-her-music-health-and-slimmer-wardrobe/10359741.
110. ↑ Leight, Elias (February 9, 2017), "Aretha Franklin Announces Retirement, Final Album", *Rolling Stone*.
111. ↑ "Aretha Franklin said to be 'seriously ill'", *BBC News* (August 13, 2018).
112. ↑ Huschka, Amy (August 14, 2018). "Aretha Franklin 'gravely ill' in Detroit", *Detroit Free Press*.
113. ↑ Clarendon, Dan (August 14, 2018). "Stevie Wonder Visits Aretha Franklin As 'Queen of Soul' Rests in Hospice Care", *US Magazine*.
114. ↑ "'Queen of Soul' Aretha Franklin dies at home in Detroit aged 76", Reuters (August 16, 2018).
115. ↑ Wisely, John. "This is what will happen to Aretha Franklin's estate". https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/aretha-franklin/2018/08/22/aretha-franklin-fortune/1001566002/. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
116. ↑ "Dressed like a 'resplendent' queen, Aretha Franklin rests in gold casket". *USA Today*. August 28, 2018. https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2018/08/28/aretha-franklin-dressed-like-queen-she-rests-gold-casket/1124188002/. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
117. ↑ "A note from the NET Research Foundation on the passing of Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul". Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation. August 16, 2018. https://netrf.org/aretha-franklin/.
118. ↑ Klein, Sarah (August 16, 2018). "Aretha Franklin Died of Advanced Neuroendocrine Pancreatic Cancer. Here's What That Means" (in en). https://www.health.com/condition/cancer/pancreatic-cancer-neuroendocrine-tumors. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
119. ↑ "Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Cancer vs. Pancreatic Cancer" (in en-US), *NET Research Foundation* (November 7, 2018).
120. ↑ "Aretha Franklin: Tributes flow in for Queen of Soul", *BBC News* (August 16, 2018).
121. ↑ "Aretha Franklin: The sound of the civil rights movement", *BBC News* (August 16, 2018).
122. ↑ "Aretha Franklin: Date set for Detroit funeral", *BBC News* (August 20, 2018). Retrieved on August 20, 2018.
123. ↑ Mixon, Imani (August 28, 2018). "Aretha Franklin: thousands pay respects to 'Queen of Soul' in Detroit" (in en). Retrieved on September 16, 2018.
124. ↑ "Aretha Franklin funeral service" (in en-GB). August 31, 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-45366171/aretha-franklin-funeral-service.
125. ↑ "Aretha Franklin's Funeral Live Streams: Watch | Pitchfork" (in en). https://pitchfork.com/news/aretha-franklins-funeral-live-streams-watch/.
126. ↑ "Shirley Caesar at Aretha Franklin's funeral" (in en), *Gwinnett Daily Post*. Retrieved on September 1, 2018.
127. ↑ Puente, Maria (August 31, 2018). "Aretha Franklin's funeral: Ariana Grande, Bill Clinton, Chaka Khan, Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Wonder pay tribute". *USA Today*. https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2018/08/31/aretha-franklins-funeral-celebrities-pay-tribute-queen-soul/1146846002/. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
128. ↑ "Aretha Franklin's funeral: Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder offer stirring final tributes", *latimes.com*. Retrieved on September 1, 2018.
129. ↑ "Rev. Jasper Williams under fire for remarks during Aretha Franklin's funeral". YouTube video, September 2, 2018.
130. ↑ The Associated Press (August 31, 2018), "Reverend accused of bigotry, misogyny after fiery eulogy for Aretha Franklin", *Global News*.
131. ↑ Bauder, David (September 3, 2018), "Aretha Franklin funeral: pastor offends family after he didn't 'properly eulogize her'", *Global News*.
132. ↑ Daalder, Marc (September 14, 2018). "Aretha's tomb is open to the public and fans are paying their respects" (in en), *Detroit Free Press*.
133. ↑ "Aretha Franklin interred at Detroit cemetery". *Philippine Daily Inquirer*. September 1, 2018. http://entertainment.inquirer.net/291321/aretha-franklin-interred-at-detroit-cemetery. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
134. ↑ "Michigan Rock and Roll Legends – ARETHA FRANKLIN". https://www.michiganrockandrolllegends.com/mrrl-hall-of-fame/70-aretha-franklin.
135. ↑ Template:Cite journal
136. ↑ "Announcement of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize Winners". https://www.pulitzer.org/news/announcement-2019-pulitzer-prize-winners. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
137. ↑ Fekadu, Mesfin (April 15, 2019). "Aretha Franklin makes history with posthumous Pulitzer win". Msn.com. https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/aretha-franklin-makes-history-with-posthumous-pulitzer-win/ar-BBVY1n7?OCID=ansmsnnews11. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
138. ↑ "Stars To Join For Aretha Franklin Tribute". Grammy Awards. December 2, 2014. http://www.grammy.com/news/stars-to-join-for-aretha-franklin-tribute.
139. ↑ "The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists (20-01)". http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-artists-20.shtml.
140. ↑ Whiteside, Philip (August 14, 2018). "Soul singer Aretha Franklin 'seriously ill' and 'surrounded by family' says close source", Sky News.
141. ↑ Tatangelo, Wade (August 16, 2018). "Aretha Franklin remembered by Sarasota's Jerry Wexler, her legendary producer" (in en), *Sarasota Herald*.
142. ↑ Template:Cite book
143. ↑ Template:Cite book
144. ↑ "(249516) Aretha = 2010 CV60". IAU Minor Planet Center. http://minorplanetcenter.net/db\_search/show\_object?utf8=%E2%9C%93&object\_id=aretha.
145. ↑ McCollum, Brian (June 8, 2017). "'Aretha Franklin Way' street unveiled for tearful Queen of Soul". http://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/2017/06/08/aretha-franklin-street-renaming-detroit-ceremony/380959001.
146. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (January 30, 2018). "Jennifer Hudson to Play Aretha Franklin in Biopic: 'U Have No Idea How Humbled I Am'". https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8096958/jennifer-hudson-to-play-aretha-franklin-biopic.
147. ↑ News Release (May 21, 2014). "New York University Holds 182nd Commencement at Yankee Stadium", NYU.
148. ↑ Staff (June 5, 2012). "Princeton awards six honorary degrees". Princeton University. https://www.princeton.edu/news/2012/06/05/princeton-awards-six-honorary-degrees.
149. ↑ Gonzalez, Susan (May 24, 2010). "Yale's 309th Commencement: Pomp, ceremony and r-e-s-p-e-c-t". Yale University. https://news.yale.edu/2010/05/24/yale-s-309th-commencement-pomp-ceremony-and-r-e-s-p-e-c-t.
150. ↑ Nickel, Mark (May 19, 2009). "Aretha Franklin Unable to Attend 241st Commencement Sunday". Brown University. https://news.brown.edu/articles/2009/05/aretha.
151. ↑ "Commencement 2007: Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipients". University of Pennsylvania. March 13, 2007. https://almanac.upenn.edu/archive/volumes/v53/n25/commencement.html.
152. ↑ "Honorary Degree Recipients". Berklee. https://www.berklee.edu/about/honorary-degree-recipients.
153. ↑ "NEC Honorary Doctor of Music Degree". New England Conservatory. http://necmusic.edu/honorary-doctor-music.
154. ↑ Fiorillo, Steve (August 16, 2018). "Aretha Franklin's 5 Most Impressive Career Achievements", *The Street*.
155. ↑ "Aretha Franklin to receive honorary degree Nov. 5" (in en-US), *The Daily* (October 24, 2011).
156. ↑ Callahan, Yesha (May 29, 2014). "Aretha Franklin Receives Honorary Degree From Harvard University". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141006123853/http://www.theroot.com/blogs/the\_grapevine/2014/05/aretha\_franklin\_receives\_honorary\_degree\_from\_harvard\_university.html.
157. ↑ Aniftos, Rania (September 4, 2018). "NYC Subway Stations Pay Tribute to Aretha Franklin With 'Respect' Signs". https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8473448/nyc-subway-stations-aretha-franklin-tribute. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
158. ↑ Mocker, Greg (August 1, 2018). "New Yorkers pay tribute to Aretha Franklin on MTA subway stations". https://pix11.com/2018/08/31/respect-for-aretha-franklin-at-mta-subway-stations-in-nyc/.
159. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (October 9, 2018). "2018 AMAs Aretha Franklin Tribute Brings Out Gladys Knight, Ledisi, Mary Mary and More". https://www.billboard.com/articles/events/amas/8479203/aretha-franklin-tribute-amas-2018-gladys-knight.
160. ↑ Southern, Keiran (October 10, 2018). "Gladys Knight performs moving tribute to Aretha Franklin at the AMAs – Independent.ie" (in en), Press Association, *Irish Independent*.
161. ↑ Merrill, Philip (December 27, 2018). "All-Star Lineup To Pay Tribute At 'Aretha! A GRAMMY Celebration For The Queen of Soul" (in en). https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/all-star-lineup-pay-tribute-aretha-grammy-celebration-queen-soul.
162. ↑ Littleton, Cynthia (December 27, 2018). "Tyler Perry to Host Aretha Franklin Tribute Special for CBS, Recording Academy" (in en). https://variety.com/2018/music/news/aretha-franklin-tyler-perry-tribute-cbs-special-1203095831/.
163. ↑ Reed, Ryan (December 27, 2018). "Aretha Franklin Tribute Concert Lines Up Janelle Monae, Alicia Keys, John Legend" (in en-US). https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/aretha-franklin-tribute-special-janelle-monae-alicia-keys-john-legend-772899/.
164. ↑ Landrum, Jr., Jonathan (January 14, 2019). "Aretha Franklin honored with star-studded tribute concert", Associated Press. Retrieved on February 7, 2019.
165. ↑ Willman, Chris (March 10, 2019). "TV Review: 'Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul'" (in en), *Variety*.
166. ↑ Melas, Chloe (February 11, 2019). "Aretha Franklin honored at Grammys", *CNN*. Retrieved on February 12, 2019.
167. ↑ "National Geographic Taps Suzan-Lori Parks as Executive Producer and Showrunner for 'Genius: Aretha Franklin'". *The Futon Critic*. February 10, 2019. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2019/02/10/national-geographic-taps-suzan-lori-parks-as-executive-producer-and-showrunner-for-genius-aretha-franklin-808122/20190210ngc07/. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
168. ↑ Rosen, Jody (25 June 2019). "Here Are Hundreds More Artists Whose Tapes Were Destroyed in the UMG Fire". https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/25/magazine/universal-music-fire-bands-list-umg.html. Retrieved 28 June 2019.

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* UPI (June 12, 1979). "Rev. C. L. Franklin shot".
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