*The One And Only Queen Of Soul*
**Aretha Franklin My Queen**
Aretha Franklin was born on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, the fourth of five children of a Baptist preacher and a gospel singer. A gifted singer and pianist, Franklin went on tour with her father's traveling revival show and later went to New York and signed with Columbia records. She went on to release several popular singles, many of which are now considered classics. In 1987,she became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Franklin won her 18th Grammy Award in 2008, making her one of the most honored artists in Grammy history.
Aretha Franklin - The Gospel Soul of Aretha Franklin (1956)
By Papa Funk
**Early Talent**
Born Aretha Louise Franklin on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Baptist preacher Reverend Clarence La Vaughan "C.L." Franklin, and mother Barbara Siggers Franklin, a gospel singer. The fourth of five children, Franklin's parents separated by the time she was six; four years later, her mother succumbed to a heart attack. Guided by C.L.'s preaching assignments, the family relocated to Detroit, Michigan. C.L. eventually landed at Detroit's New Bethel Baptist Church, where he gained national renown as a preacher.
***Reverend Clarence La Vaughan "C.L." Franklin***
And
***Barbara Siggers Franklin***
***Was A Very Good Gospel Singer***
***Rev. Franklin***
Aretha - Arrives (1967)
By Papa Funk
**Soul Star**
Life on the road exposed Aretha Franklin to adult behaviors and at the age of 15, she became a mother. Her second child followed two years later. After a brief hiatus she returned to performing, and followed heroes like Cooke and Dinah Washington into pop and blues territory. With her father's blessing, Franklin traveled to New York in 1960. After being courted by several labels, including Motown and RCA, Franklin signed with Columbia Records. She released The Great Aretha Franklin for the label that same year.
Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You (1967)
By Papa Funk
Aretha Franklin - Aretha Now (1968)
By Papa Funk
In 1961, the single "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody" hit No. 37 on the pop charts. Franklin had a few top 10 singles on the R&B charts, but they failed to showcase the talent evident in her gospel music. She and new husband-cum-manager Ted White decided a move was in order, and Franklin moved to Atlantic in 1967. Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler immediately shuttled Franklin to the studios at the Florence Alabama Musical Emporium.
Aretha Franklin - The Electrifying Aretha Franklin (1962)
By Papa Funk
Paired with sidemen trained in soul, blues, rock and gospel -including session guitarists Eric Clapton and Duane Allman
-Aretha recorded the single "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)." In the midst of recording sessions, White quarreled with a member of the backing band, and White and Franklin left abruptly. As the single became a massive top 10 hit, Franklin re-emerged in New York, and was able to complete the partially recorded track, "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man."
Franklin cemented her reign in 1967 and 1968 with a string of hit singles that would become enduring classics. In 1967, the album "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)" was released. The first song on the album, "Respect," an empowered cover of an Otis Redding track, reached No. 1 on both the R&B and pop charts, and won Aretha her first two Grammy Awards. She also had top 10 hits with "Baby I Love You,'' "Think," "Chain of Fools,'' "I Say A Little Prayer,
" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman."
In 1968, Franklin was enlisted to perform at the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She paid tribute to her father's fallen friend with a heartfelt rendition of "Precious Lord. " She also sang at the 1968 Democratic Convention.
***Martin Luther King Jr.***
"MY HERO"
Born
Michael King, Jr.
January 15, 1929
January 15, 1929
Died
April 4, 1968 (Aged 39)
R.I.P...We Will Never Forget You!!!
The following year, she and White divorced. Franklin performed again at the 1972 funeral of Mahalia Jackson. Spurred by Jackson's passing and a subsequent resurgence of interest in gospel music, Franklin's 1972 album Amazing Grace sold more than 2 million units, becoming the best-selling gospel album at the time.
**Personal and Professional Struggles**
Franklin's success continued throughout the 70s, and as the artist took home eight consecutive Grammy awards for Best R&B Female Vocal Performance, she earned the title the "Queen of Soul." She worked tirelessly and expanded her repertoire to include rock and pop covers, but by 1975 her sound was fading in favor of the disco craze. In the wake of this new genre, an emerging set of young black singers such as Chaka Khan and Donna Summer began to eclipse Franklin's career. She found a brief respite from slumping sales with 1976's soundtrack to Sparkle, as well as an invitation to perform at the 1977 presidential inauguration. In 1978, she married actor Glynn Turman.
A string of chart failures ended Franklin's relationship with Atlantic in 1979. The same year, her father was hospitalized after a burglary attempt in his home left him in a coma. As her popularity waned and her father's health declined, Franklin was also saddled with a massive bill from the IRS. A cameo in the film The Blues Brothers (1980) helped Franklin revive her flagging career. Performing "Think'' alongside comedians John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd exposed her to a new generation of R&B lovers, and she soon signed to Arista Records. Her new label released 1982's Jump To It, an album that enjoyed huge success on the R&B charts and earned Franklin a Grammy nomination. Two years later, she endured a divorce from Turman as well as the death of her father.
And
***Aretha Franklin***
**Comeback**
In 1985, Franklin released another smash-hit album. The polished pop record Who's Zoomin' Who? featured the single "Freeway of Love," as well as a collaboration with the popular rock band the Eurythmics. The record became Aretha's biggest-selling album yet. Her follow-up album, 1986's Aretha, also went gold, and the George Michael duet "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)'' hit No. 1 on the pop charts.
The following year, Franklin became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Also in 1987, the University of Detroit credited Franklin with an honorary doctorate. In 1993, she was invited to sing at the inauguration of Bill Clinton, and in 1994, she was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Over the next few years, the songstress was the subject of multiple documentaries and tributes.
In 1998, Franklin reprised her former role in Blues Brothers 2000, released the gold-selling "A Rose Is Still A Rose, " and stood in for Luciano Pavarotti, who was too ill to accept his Lifetime Achievement Award. Her rendition of "Nessun Dorma" commanded stellar reviews.
In 2003, Franklin released her final studio album on Arista, So Damn Happy, and left the label to found Aretha Records. Two years later, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and became the second woman ever to be inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame. In 2008, she received her 18th Grammy Award for " Never Gonna Break My Faith"—a collaboration with Mary J. Blige - and was tapped to sing at the 2009 inauguration of president Barack Obama. With 18 Grammys under her belt, Franklin is regarded as one of the most honored artists in Grammy history, ranked among the likes of Alison Krauss, Adele and Beyoncé Knowles.
In 2011, Franklin released her first album on her own label, A Woman Falling Out of Love. To support the project, she performed several concerts, including a two-night stint at the famed Radio City Music Hall in New York. With fans and critics alike impressed with her performances, she successfully proved that the Queen of Soul still reigns supreme.
Aretha Franklin - Spirit In The Dark (1970)
By Papa Funk
Aretha Franklin - Queen of Soul (Live from Chicago) (2008)
By Papa Funk
**Personal Life**
During this same period, however, Franklin seemed to be going through some challenging times in her personal life. She announced that she was getting married to her "forever friend" William "Willie" Wilkerson in January 2012, and that they planned to tie the knot that summer, but only a short time later, Franklin told the press that the wedding was off. "We were moving a little too fast, and there were a number of things that had not been thought through thoroughly," the singer explained.
Just weeks after breaking off her engagement, Franklin suffered another great personal loss: the death of her goddaughter, Whitney Houston, on February 11, 2012. "It's so stunning and unbelievable," Franklin wrote on her Facebook page about the tragedy. "My heart goes out to Cissy, her daughter Bobbi Kris, her family and Bobby."
Papa Funk
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