[200], In 2010 Franklin was ranked first on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time"[7] and ninth on their list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". [92] 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.[93]. 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 was drinking so much, we thought she was on the verge of a breakdown, her sister Carolyn said in Ritzs biography. Aretha was married to Ted White in 1961, when the singer was 19. [130] Her youngest son, Kecalf Cunningham, was born in April 1970 and is the child of her road manager Ken Cunningham.[131]. Her mother died when Aretha was 10. There were also headlining-grabbing incidents during the period, including when Franklin received a reckless driving charge in Detroit for running two cars off a road in 1968, as well as when she was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly trying to hit two police officers after a traffic infringement in Michigan. Ted White Aretha Franklin, in full Aretha Louise Franklin, (born March 25, 1942, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.died August 16, 2018, Detroit, Michigan), American singer who defined the golden age of soul music of the 1960s. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke all became friends of C. L. Franklin, as well. 7 She Always Carried Her Purse. However, their marriage ended painfully, and she never remarried. Franklin separated from White in 1968 and after she was married to actor Glynn Turman in 1978. [1] White was the manager and first husband of soul singer Aretha Franklin. Trouble is brewing around the estate of Aretha Franklin, where police are investigating possible theft of her assets and an ex-husband is angling for money. [56], In January 1967, Franklin 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. [17] Several women, including Aretha's grandmother, Rachel, and Mahalia Jackson, took turns helping with the children at the Franklin home. Her sister Carolyn died in April 1988 from breast cancer and her eldest sister Erma died from throat cancer in September 2002. Franklin was married twice, and had four children, before passing away in 2018 at the age of 76. [15] After the separation, Aretha recalled seeing her mother in Buffalo during the summer, and Barbara Franklin frequently visited her children in Detroit. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. "[188][189] Following a telecast procession up Seven Mile Road, Franklin was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit. The Respect singer was not married at the time of her passing, but she was in a serious relationship with her longtime partner,. adopted (Vaughn didn't learn C.L. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The end of their marriage was dogged by. The couple met backstage at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion during a Ben Vereen show. Another woman performed at several Florida venues under the name Aretha Franklin. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. [29] He also helped her sign her first recording deal with J.V.B. Franklin felt the label was not yet established enough, and he turned Gordy down. While Franklin was still a teen when she met White, she was also a mother of two, having given birth to her first son Clarence when she was 12 and Edward when she was 14. He had been to our house during several parties. [178], A memorial service was held at New Bethel Baptist Church on August 19. By the late 1970s disco cramped Franklins style and eroded her popularity. [2] Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Aretha was married to Ted White in 1961, when the singer was 19. Who is Glynn Turman? The Queen of Soul. Before the year was out, Franklin scored her first with her hit-single rendition of the standard "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody". She was praised for her arrangements and interpretations of other artists' hit songs. From that first session, Today I Sing the Blues (1960) remains a classic. [18][28] When Franklin was 12, her father began managing her; he would take her on the road with him, during his "gospel caravan" tours for her to perform in various churches. Aretha's second husband is actor Glynn Turman. She was introduced to Theodore "Ted" White by fellow singer Della Reese. Per David Ritz's Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin, they first met in 1954 at a party, and White had a reputation as something of a smooth operator. With the fresh anthology about Franklin currently streaming on Hulu, heres a primer on the men she once shared her life with. Franklins mother, Barbara, was a gospel singer and pianist. Notably, all three of Turman's children have pursued his footsteps. Advertisement ARETHA'S MARRIAGE Aretha Franklin and actor Glynn Turman both had failed marriages when they started falling in love. A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul', "Jennifer Hudson to play Aretha Franklin in Biopic: 'U Have No Idea How Humbled I Am', "Jennifer Hudson Shines as Aretha Franklin in 'Respect' Trailer (Watch)", "Respect trailer released Aretha Franklin Biopic in UK cinemas 22 Jan 2021", "National Geographic Taps Suzan-Lori Parks as Executive Producer and Showrunner for 'Genius: Aretha Franklin', "Queen of Soul's Father Rev. Her family always had her back, with Franklin saying her dad was not judgmental, narrow or scolding about her youthful pregnancies. Despite the success of the single "Angel", the album bombed[citation needed] upon its release in 1973. As a child, Franklin was noticed for her gospel singing at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father C. L. Franklin was a minister. March 28, 1970) with 3rd ex-boyfriend, Ken Cunningham. R.I.P. She attended Northern High School. Wilkerson passed away due to complications from COVID-19 in 2020. .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Aretha Franklins decades-long career dominance was rooted in songs that unleashed the power women so often had to hide. Aretha told me she could use it on one condition: only if I drove. [231][232], At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, the ceremony was ended with a memorial tribute to the life and career of Franklin. Ted White was Aretha Franklin's first husband and the father of her third son ( she'd had two children as a teenager). (1942-2018) Who Was Aretha Franklin? A handsome, dashing, and successful actor marries a beautiful, glamorous, and successful singer, Erma told Ritz. [30] In 1956, J.V.B. It took someone that slick to get a great talent like Aretha in his stable.. C. L. (Clarence La Vaughn), a minister and gospel singer, and gospel singer Barbara (Siggers) Franklin. [18] During this time, Aretha learned how to play piano by ear. Not only did she rarely talk about their seven-year marriage, which began when she was 19, but a 1968 magazine story that alluded to trouble in their relationship led to her closing herself to major media interviews all together. A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul", was organized by CBS and the Recording Academy[228] on January 13, 2019, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Aretha Franklin married an abusive pimp. The couple got married in 1961 and had a series of domestic violence incidents before ending up divorced in 1969 (via Essence ). Her mother Barbara left early on and had died by the time Franklin reached her tenth birthday. She had four sons, one of which she shares with White. As a teen, Aretha Franklin sang in a junior gospel choir. [180] 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[181] such as Fox News, CNN, The Word Network, BET and MSNBC. After 1988, "Franklin never again had huge hits", according to Rolling Stone. The Queen: Aretha Franklin She was a traumatized child, a teenage mother, a gospel prodigy and a civil-rights champion. 3 Columbia placed her with a variety of producers who marketed her to both adults (If Ever You Should Leave Me, 1963) and teens (Soulville, 1964). "Respect" was Otis Redding's song but Aretha modified it with a "supercharged interlude featuring the emphatic spelling-out of the song's title". There, she met Ted White, whom she married in 1961. Alternate titles: Aretha Louise Franklin, Queen of Soul. Bio: Aretha's First Husband / Manager Saycon Sengbloh Born: October 23, 1977 Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, USA Erma Franklin Born: March 13, 1938 Birthplace: Shelby, Mississippi, USA Death: September 7, 2002, Detroit, Michigan, USA (lung cancer) Bio: Aretha's Older Sister Hailey Kilgore Born: February 16, 1999 Birthplace: Humble, Texas, USA Aretha Franklin married Ted White in 1961 at age 19, and he served as her manager up until 1969, when the two got divorced. Her father was something of a celebrity in Detroit . Despite his disapproval, the two were married six months after meeting in 1961; she was 19 and he was reportedly 30. During that period, Franklin provided vocals to the theme songs of the TV shows A Different World and Together. Franklin, was a nationally known Baptist preacher and civil rights activist who, in spite of his religious commitments, impregnated a teenager at his church,. [Part 8]: UNT Digital Library", "The Tender, The Moving, The Swinging Aretha Franklin", "This is the moment Aretha Franklin became the 'Queen of Soul', "Aretha Franklin: 18 major events in the singer's life", "How pain and passion shaped the genius of Aretha Franklin", "Aretha's R-E-S-P-E-C-T Still Spells Success", "How Mahalia Jackson defined the 'I Have a Dream' speech", "Aretha Franklin, Indomitable 'Queen of Soul,' Dies at 76", "Aretha Franklin & the Art of Musical Partnership", "Clive Davis Mourns Aretha Franklin: 'Truly One of a Kind', "John Landis, Who Directed Aretha Franklin's Only Two Movies, Remembers Her 'Blues Brothers' Turns", "Writer's Ballad Tapped For Abc-tv Fall Theme", "Watch Aretha Franklin Sing 'America the Beautiful' at WrestleMania III", "Aretha Franklin - Think (1989) (Remake - Official Music Video)", "Aretha Franklin - 'I Want To Be Happy' & 'Natural Woman' (1990) - MDA Telethon", "Aretha Franklin - 'Someone Else's Eyes' (1990) - MDA Telethon", "American album certifications Aretha Franklin A Rose Is Still a Rose", "Grammys Producer Ken Ehrlich on Aretha Franklin's Last-Minute, Showstopping 1998 Opera Moment: 'She Was Incomparable', "When Aretha Franklin stepped in for Pavarotti at the last minute to perform Nessun Dorma", "Jewels in the Crown: All Star Duets with the Queen", "Univ. The album's title track was her first top-40 single on the pop charts in six years. He came along at just the right time. But, as her Detroit friends on the Motown label enjoyed hit after hit, Franklin struggled to achieve crossover success. Aretha has gone through a lot of trouble in her life, Wexler said in Vanity Fair. Whatever happened behind those closed doors, it wasnt long after that alleged incident that Franklin and White divorced. 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. Deacon Willie Todd declared, Reverend Franklin couldnt stand Ted, according to Vanity Fair. Also How many times did Aretha Franklin marry? In 2010, Franklin accepted an honorary degree from Yale University. In 2005 Franklin received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for revolutionizing music and helping to shape our Nations artistic and cultural heritage. Today she is widely considered the Queen of Soul.. This was reissued by Battle Records in 1962, under the same title. Franklin first met Cissy's young daughter, Whitney Houston, in the early 1970s. [65] She appeared on the cover of Time magazine in June.[66]. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. [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. [234] Franklin's biopic Respect was released in August 2021 in various countries. At the age of 18, she was signed as a recording artist for Columbia Records. In "Respect," Aretha is seen as a 10-year-old in her Detroit bedroom when an older, unnamed male house guest wanders in, offering to be her "boyfriend.". "Precious Lord (Part One)" backed with "Precious Lord (Part Two)" followed in 1959. Aretha Franklin remarried. In the early 1970s she triumphed at the Fillmore West in San Francisco before an audience of flower children and on whirlwind tours of Europe and Latin America. [104] 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. In case you never noticed, the singer always had her . [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. I knew Ted White, as did most entertainers in Detroit, Aretha's sister, the late singer Erma Franklin, said in the book. [94] On February 8, 2008, Franklin was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year, and performed "Never Gonna Break My Faith", which had won her the Grammy for best Gospel performance[95] the year before. [107][108][109] At the Ravinia Festival on September 3, 2017, she gave her last full concert. [20], Aretha's father's emotionally driven sermons resulted in his being known as the man with the "million-dollar voice". He helped Aretha get it together. [8] In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked Franklin number one on its list of the "200 Greatest Singers of All Time". "In those years, Arethas story was pretty much a struggle over her career by two menour dad and Ted," Erma said. Franklin was married twice. [67] That year, Franklin was the subject of a criminal impersonation scheme. She was awarded the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. [citation needed], In 1980, after leaving Atlantic Records,[75] Franklin signed with Clive Davis's Arista Records. Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin. They were separated in 1982. Franklin, over the direction of her career. [52] 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. In 1967s I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You), she sang the words, I don't know why I let you do these things to me / My friends keep telling me that you ain't no good / But they don't know that I'd leave you if I could.. In 2009 she electrified a crowd of more than one million with her performance of My Country Tis of Thee at the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama, and her rendition of Carole Kings (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman during the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony in 2015 was no less breathtaking. [175][176] 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". Somebody else is making her sing the blues., Over the years, other reports have backed up the Time allegations. [93] In 2011, under her own label, Aretha's Records, she issued the album Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love. A small boy was so touched by her performance that he came onto the stage and embraced her while Franklin was still singing. However, C.L. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [61] 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. Years after divorcing White, Aretha Franklin married actor Glenn Turman in 1978. When Aretha was two, the family relocated to Buffalo, New York. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. Aretha is the kind of girl, youve got to love her hard, pianist Teddy Harris said. Later . Born on March 25, 1942 in Memphis, Aretha was one of five children raised by CL Franklin, a preacher who eventually settled in Detroit, and inherited both his fiery temperament and love of music. Children. ", "Aretha Franklin inducted into Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2015", "National Women's Hall of Fame Virtual Induction Series Inaugural Event December 10, 2020", "Sister Ree's Scrapbook, An Aretha Franklin Photo Gallery 13", "Aretha Franklin Biography and Interview", "Inez Andrews, Gospel Singer, Dies at 83", "Aretha Franklin: Lifelong commitment to Detroit", "Pickwick Group Ltd Aretha Franklin Songs Of Faith", "Obituary: Aretha Franklin, 16 August 2018", "Aretha Franklin: Remembering Her Many Ties To Chicago; She Became 'Queen Of Soul' Here", "Quincy Jones on Aretha Franklin: 'You Will Reign as the Queen Forever', "Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, Dead at 76", "Aretha Franklin Was the Defining Voice of the 20th Century", "Show 52 The Soul Reformation: Phase three, soul music at the summit. [151] She again lost weight in the early 1990s, before gaining some back. The "all-star" group performed gospel songs, including renditions from Franklin's 1972 album, Amazing Grace. [146][147][148][149], Franklin had weight issues for many years. But no one appointed me her counselor and I simply shut up and supervised the session. She was delivered at her family's home located at 406 Lucy Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee. [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. "[59] Franklin's debut Atlantic album, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, also became commercially successful, later going gold. Ted was 30 years old when he married Aretha Franklin. [42] Franklin's first Columbia single, "Today I Sing the Blues",[43] was issued in September 1960 and later reached the top 10 of the Hot Rhythm & Blues Sellers chart. Following the surgery, Franklin lost 85 lbs. After her parents separated, Franklin remained with her father in Detroit. They separated in 1982 partially due to the strain of maintaining a long-distance relationship and officially divorced in 1984. In 2020, Franklin was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. And Ive been hurthurt bad., .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Rock Icon KISS Is Saying Goodbye (For Real), Rihanna and 10 Other Great Pregnant Performances, Burt Bacharachs Legacy: 5 Notable Collaborations, 2023 Grammy Awards: Six Winners Who Made History. [155], In 2010, Franklin canceled a number of concerts to have surgery for an undisclosed tumor. [143], Franklin's music business friends included Dionne Warwick, Mavis Staples, and Cissy Houston, who began singing with Franklin as members of the Sweet Inspirations. Franklin and White divorced in 1969, and had one child, Teddy Richards, a successful musician who played guitar in his mother's band. She denied that the ailment had anything to do with pancreatic cancer, as had been reported. [139], Franklin had a long friendship with Willie Wilkerson, a Vietnam War veteran and Detroit firefighter, who also helped in her work and cared for her when ill.[140] In 2012 she announced plans to marry Wilkerson[141][142] but the engagement was quickly called off. 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. Clarence Franklin was born in 1955, when Aretha Franklin was just 12 years old. On November 18, 2008, she performed "Respect" and "Chain of Fools" at Dancing with the Stars. [77][78] Franklin's first Arista album, Aretha (1980), featured the number-three R&B hit "United Together" and her Grammy-nominated cover of Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose". Franklin's nephew Vaughan complained of Williams: "He spoke for 50 minutes and at no time did he properly eulogize her. Franklins cousin and backup singer Brenda Franklin-Corbett told Ritz that Cunningham had a much better impact on Franklins life than White did. So I called Sam. In addition to being an actor, Turman worked as a producer, writer, and director throughout his career. Although she was born in Memphis, Tennessee, Aretha Franklin spent most of her early years in Detroit, Michigan, with her mother, a gospel singer, and her father, a Baptist minister. Aretha and actor Glynn Turman married on April 11, 1978, at her father's church. She married her first husband, Ted White (pictured together in 1968) in 1961 when she was 19. [60] In 1968, Franklin 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". According to sources in Respect, Franklin was happy to know she was having a child with Cunningham, but was hesitant at the time to marry again following her difficult split from White. [43][57] 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. [115] Critic Randy Lewis assessed her skills as a pianist as "magic" and "inspirational". [136] Franklins father and idol, described as unorthodox on every level, knowingly preyed on his pre-teen congregants. In my fifth or sixth month, I dropped out of school. Family and friends including Martha Reeves and Bettye Lavette celebrate the life of a. Read more opinions on theGrio. Franklin didnt handle things perfectly either. Take a look back at Aretha Franklin's life, as she tells it through a . confers 3,243 degrees at 309th Commencement", "Aretha Franklin talks new album, says health is 'fine', "Sings the Great Diva Classics Aretha Franklin", "Aretha Franklin Notches Milestone 100th Hit on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart", "Aretha Franklin Just Brought the Leader of the Free World to Tears", "Aretha Franklin stuns at Kennedy Center Honors", "Obama cries as Aretha Franklin proves why she's the queen of soul", "Watch Aretha Franklin Bring Obama to Tears at Kennedy Center Honors", "Aretha Franklin Dropping Her Fur Coat at 'Kennedy Center Honors' is Ultimate Life Goals! Franklin, presided over the New Bethel Baptist Church of Detroit, Michigan, and was a minister of national influence. Despite their short marriage, the former couple remained close friends throughout the years. [152] Discussing the surgery in 2011, she quoted her doctor as saying that it would "add 15 to 20 years" to her life. I didn't need to introduce him to Aretha. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. [235][236], 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".