[2] Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". [62][63][64] 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. 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. A reluctant interviewee, Franklin kept her private life private, claiming that the popular perception associating her with the unhappiness of singers Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday was misinformed. Franklin left Atlantic in 1979 and signed with Arista Records. Her enormous discography includes 38 studio albums and 6 live albums. By marrying Turman, Franklin became stepmother of Turman's three children. "[188][189] Following a telecast procession up Seven Mile Road, Franklin was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit. "Our last year in the studio together was the craziest. Franklin was a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1994, recipient of the National Medal of Arts in 1999, recipient of the American Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate Award presented by Awards Council member Coretta Scott King,[194][195][196] and was bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 by then President George W. Aretha went from strength to strength despite her circumstances, and it's that resilience that says: Life might break me today and tomorrow, but in the long run, I will not be forever broken, she said. [1] She had often been described as a great singer and musician due to "vocal flexibility, interpretive intelligence, skillful piano-playing, her ear, her experience". Despite the success of the single "Angel", the album bombed[citation needed] upon its release in 1973. But Franklin's inner circle was not so fond of him. Franklin's mother, Barbara, was a gospel singer and pianist. She was introduced to Theodore "Ted" White by fellow singer Della Reese. [179] Thousands then paid their respects during the public lying-in-repose at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. [36] 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. I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You) (1967), recorded at Fame Studios in Florence, Alabama, was her first million-seller. Aretha Franklin was married twice in her lifetime. [238], "Aretha" and "Queen of Soul" redirect here. [146][147][148][149], Franklin had weight issues for many years. Aretha is the kind of girl, youve got to love her hard, pianist Teddy Harris said. Aretha told me she could use it on one condition: only if I drove. Franklin and Turman were married in 1978 but divorced in 1984 after a two-year separation. Alternate titles: Aretha Louise Franklin, Queen of Soul. That was a huge blessing. Birthday: March 25, 1942 ( Aries) Born In: Memphis, Tennessee, United States 303 119 Pianists #14 Rhythm & Blues Singers #5 Gospel Singers #2 Quick Facts Also Known As: Aretha Louise Franklin Died At Age: 76 Family: Spouse/Ex-: Glynn Turman (m. 1978-1984), Ted White (m. 1961-1969) father: Clarence LaVaughn Franklin mother: Barbara Siggers But one of the wills states that Clarence's father was Edward Jordan Sr., with whom she also had her second son, Edward, in 1957. Despite his disapproval, the two were married six months after meeting in 1961; she was 19 and he was reportedly 30. She was 1 of 5 children. Among the visitors were gospel musicians Clara Ward, James Cleveland, and early Caravans members Albertina Walker and Inez Andrews. "Respect" was a huge hit for Franklin, and became a signature song for her. Just under 10 years after her turbulent first marriage to former manager Ted White came to an end, the . From powerful, defiant .css-9cezh6{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#E61957;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-9cezh6:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}love songs like Think to celebratory records (You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman, Aretha Franklin was singularly gifted at capturing the gamut of relationships in her work. [68] After being cleared of wrongdoing, Jones subsequently enjoyed a brief career of her own, during which she was herself the subject of an impersonation. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aretha-Franklin, Aretha Franklin - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Aretha Franklin - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (1987). At the time of its release, Franklin who died in 2018 of pancreatic cancer at the age of 76 was married to her first husband Ted White, who also became her manager. His name is a combination of his parents initials (Ken E. Cunningham and Aretha L. Franklin). 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". [17] Several women, including Aretha's grandmother, Rachel, and Mahalia Jackson, took turns helping with the children at the Franklin home. It took someone that slick to get a great talent like Aretha in his stable.. In one of her handwritten wills, discovered in 2019, Franklin revealed that the father was Edward Jordan. Turman, 74, is best known for roles in Cooley High, The Wire, and House of Lies. Despite their short marriage, the former couple remained close friends throughout the years. But many close to her have hinted that this period of the Queen of Souls life may have been one where she struggled with getting her own respect. Aretha Franklin was previously married to Glynn Turman (1978 - 1984) and Ted White (1962 - 1969). This was reissued by Battle Records in 1962, under the same title. [112], According to Richie Unterberger, Franklin was "one of the giants of soul music, and indeed of American pop as a whole. Franklin was featured on vocals and piano. [201] 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. 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'". The scene cuts there, but in a . Franklin won 18 Grammy Awards (out of 44 nominations),[4][5] including the first eight awards given for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (19681975), a Grammy Awards Living Legend honor and Lifetime Achievement Award. adopted (Vaughn didn't learn C.L. The Queen of Soul. However, according to Rolling Stone, "they weren't as terrible as some claimed, they were pro forma and never reached for new heights". She released a gospel album, The Gospel Sound of Aretha Franklin, in 1956, at age 14. The next seven years' achievements were less impressive. Dr. William Barber II. Aretha Franklin was arguably the greatest singer to walk a turn on . Aretha's father, Reverend C.L. But the lyrics for one of her first big hits may have struck closer to her heart than many realized. Whatever happened behind those closed doors, it wasnt long after that alleged incident that Franklin and White divorced. READ MORE: Aretha Franklin: The Powerful Meaning Behind Her Equality Anthem "Respect". C. L. Franklin, 69, Dies After 5 Years in Coma", "Aretha Talks About Men, Marriage, Music & Motherhood", "Aretha Franklin Returns With Soulful CD, 'So Damn Happy', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aretha_Franklin&oldid=1138350111, This page was last edited on 9 February 2023, at 05:30. C. L. (Clarence La Vaughn), a minister and gospel singer, and gospel singer Barbara (Siggers) Franklin. [121], Franklin was also a strong supporter of Native American rights. Donald and Aretha eventually split up and by 1961, she and Mr. Theodore Ted White were married. The song's B-side, "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man", reached the R&B top 40, peaking at number 37. [21][22] His fame led to his home being visited by various celebrities. He served as her manager, and they had a son together, her third. Aretha Franklin married Ted White in 1961 at age 19, and he served as her manager up until 1969, when the two got divorced. was bitterly opposed to the whole deal, wrote music journalist Mikal Gilmore in a sprawling 2018 obituary for Rolling Stone. The. [47] In 1962, Columbia issued two more albums, The Electrifying Aretha Franklin and The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin,[48][49] the latter of which reached number 69 on the Billboard chart. The tribute concluded with a rendition of her 1968 hit, "A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel Like)", performed by Fantasia Barrino-Taylor, Andra Day and Yolanda Adams. [54][55] Wexler decided that he wanted to take advantage of her gospel background; his philosophy in general was to encourage a "tenacious form of rhythm & blues that became increasingly identified as soul". Franklin's movie about her life, titled. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. ", While Franklin herself never directly addressed the dark side of the relationship, one of the first signs of trouble emerged in a 1968 Time story that said White had roughed her up in public at Atlantas Regency Hyatt House Hotel. While there werent further details, it did go on to say: It was not the first such incident., The story described White as former dabbler in Detroit real estate and a street-corner wheeler-dealer who had come a long way since he married Aretha and took over the management of her career. Even gospel great Mahalia Jackson spoke out in the article, saying: I dont think shes happy. According to Daily Mail, Aretha Franklin's early career was reportedly bankrolled by Ted White, the man she walked down . Michael Ochs Archives/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Franklin and White married in. In Respect, the struggles of Franklins romantic life are portrayed by some around her as being connected to her tremendous artistic gifts, most notably by her brother, Rev. Her parents separated when she was six, and Franklin remained with her father in Detroit. Her sister Carolyn died in April 1988 from breast cancer and her eldest sister Erma died from throat cancer in September 2002. Over 75 million copies of her albums have been sold. [97] 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. "I felt like she needed counseling cause she kept missing gigs and kept taking all kinds of abuse from Ted. 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. Not long after releasing her first album in 1961, Franklin met White at a Detroit Club called 20 Grand. Aretha Louise Franklin was born on March 25, 1942, to Barbara (ne Siggers) and Clarence LaVaughn "C. L." Franklin. This self-taught musician was married to Ted White first, at the age of 18 in 1961.