Franklin was married twice, and had four children, before passing away in 2018 at the age of 76. [193] The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences awarded her a Grammy Legend Award in 1991, then the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994. [23][24] 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". 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. Aretha Franklin was previously married to Glynn Turman (1978 - 1984) and Ted White (1962 - 1969). [45] 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. Franklin in 1936, and the couple went on to have four children: Erma (born in 1938), Cecil (born in 1940), Aretha (born in 1942), and Carolyn (born in 1944).Barbara also had a child from a previous relationship, Vaughn, who was born in 1934 and adopted by C.L. Aretha was married to her second husband, actor Glynn Turman, from 1978 to 1984. 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 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. After her parents separated, Franklin remained with her father in Detroit. [18] During this time, Aretha learned how to play piano by ear. Franklin felt the label was not yet established enough, and he turned Gordy down. Years after divorcing White, Aretha Franklin married actor Glenn Turman in 1978. 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. Inside Aretha Franklins Relationship with Her First Husband Ted White, Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, Rock Icon KISS Is Saying Goodbye (For Real), Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. [113] Franklin's voice was described as being a "powerful mezzo-soprano voice". Franklin didnt handle things perfectly either. She was called the "Queen of Soul". [121], Franklin was also a strong supporter of Native American rights. Wayans has two children with Angela Zackery: 21-year-old daughter . It ended years later, and many sources affirm that it was due to domestic abuse. January 30, 1963) with ex-husband, Ted White & Kecalf Cunningham (b. Theres nothing he wouldn't do for her. [67] That year, Franklin was the subject of a criminal impersonation scheme. She had four sons, one of which she shares with White. [35], Franklin and her father traveled to California, where she met singer Sam Cooke. No one loves to throw herself a party more than Arethashes been doing that her whole lifebut she told me that this would be the party to end all parties.. after they . [224][225], 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. in 1936; she had a son, Vaughn, from a previous relationship, whom C.L. She already knew him. [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". [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. Aretha married twice, first to Theodore 'Ted' White in 1961 aged 19. He counted White as an enemy. [178], A memorial service was held at New Bethel Baptist Church on August 19. Aretha Franklin was in the music business for nearly 60 years. Think (1968), which Franklin wrote herself, also had more than one meaning. Franklin's mother, Barbara, was a gospel singer and pianist. (1942-2018) Who Was Aretha Franklin? [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. I asked my father if we could use his new car to go on Sam's tour.' Her father [the legendary Reverend C.L. Here's What That Means", "Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Cancer vs. Pancreatic Cancer", "Aretha Franklin: Tributes flow in for Queen of Soul", "Aretha Franklin: The sound of the civil rights movement", "Aretha Franklin: Date set for Detroit funeral", "Aretha Franklin: thousands pay respects to 'Queen of Soul' in Detroit", "Aretha Franklin's Funeral Live Streams: Watch", "Shirley Caesar at Aretha Franklin's funeral", "Aretha Franklin's funeral: Ariana Grande, Bill Clinton, Chaka Khan, Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Wonder pay tribute", "Aretha Franklin's funeral: Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder offer stirring final tributes", "Reverend accused of bigotry, misogyny after fiery eulogy for Aretha Franklin", "Aretha Franklin funeral: pastor offends family after he didn't 'properly eulogize her'", "Aretha's tomb is open to the public and fans are paying their respects", "Aretha Franklin interred at Detroit cemetery", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", "Photo: 2012: Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin is joined onstage by Awards Council member General Colin Powell during her memorable musical performance to close the evening of the 50th annual Banquet of the Golden Plate ceremonies", "Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Aretha Franklin", "Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame 2015 Induction Ceremony Was A Big Hit", "Announcement of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize Winners", "Aretha Franklin makes history with posthumous Pulitzer win", "Stars To Join For Aretha Franklin Tribute", "The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists (20-01)", "Soul singer Aretha Franklin 'seriously ill' and 'surrounded by family' says close source", "Aretha Franklin remembered by Sarasota's Jerry Wexler, her legendary producer", "The 35 Greatest R&B Artists Of All Time", "How a TV crew meticulously re-created Aretha Franklin's extraordinary life", "New York University Holds 182nd Commencement at Yankee Stadium", "Yale's 309th Commencement: Pomp, ceremony and r-e-s-p-e-c-t", "Aretha Franklin Unable to Attend 241st Commencement Sunday", "Commencement 2007: Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipients", "Aretha Franklin's 5 Most Impressive Career Achievements", "Aretha Franklin to receive honorary degree Nov. 5", "Aretha Franklin Receives Honorary Degree From Harvard University", "NYC Subway Stations Pay Tribute to Aretha Franklin With 'Respect' Signs", "New Yorkers pay tribute to Aretha Franklin on MTA subway stations", "2018 AMAs Aretha Franklin Tribute Brings Out Gladys Knight, Ledisi, Mary Mary and More", "Gladys Knight performs moving tribute to Aretha Franklin at the AMAs Independent.ie", "All-Star Lineup To Pay Tribute At 'Aretha! "Arethas husband, Ted White, roughed her up in public," the piece says. She also was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012. With the fresh anthology about Franklin currently streaming on Hulu, heres a primer on the men she once shared her life with. [136] Franklins father and idol, described as unorthodox on every level, knowingly preyed on his pre-teen congregants. "Respect" was a huge hit for Franklin, and became a signature song for her. Ted and Aretha welcomed their son Ted White Jr. in February 1964. She requires a lot of attention and she didnt get that from Ted. [citation needed], Working with Wexler and Atlantic, Franklin had become "the most successful singer in the nation" by 1968. On November 18, 2008, she performed "Respect" and "Chain of Fools" at Dancing with the Stars. Franklin married Ted White in 1961 but divorced him in 1969. To many observers, it seemed she had finally found the perfect man, a fellow performer. She was awarded the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The end of their marriage was dogged by. In 2010, Franklin accepted an honorary degree from Yale University. I didn't need to introduce him to Aretha. [115] Critic Randy Lewis assessed her skills as a pianist as "magic" and "inspirational". Read more opinions on theGrio. In March 1969, Franklin was unanimously voted winner of Acadmie du Jazz's R&B award, Prix Otis Redding, for her albums Lady Soul, Aretha Now, and Aretha in Paris. [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. I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You) (1967), recorded at Fame Studios in Florence, Alabama, was her first million-seller. Houston sang background on Franklin's hit "Ain't No Way". When soul icon Aretha Franklin died in 2018, she left behind not only a mammoth catalog of hits, but four children. "One day in 1961, Aretha called me. Franklin received numerous honors throughout her career. Perhaps through all the talk, it is Franklins silence that speaks the loudest. Franklin and Turman, who had no children together, separated in 1982 and divorced in 1984. Turman and Franklin had both been previously married and entered their union with previous children. Aretha Franklin married an abusive pimp. [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. Franklin's movie about her life, titled Respect starring Jennifer Hudson, hits theaters on August 13, 2021. [44], In January 1961, Columbia issued Franklin's first album, Aretha: With The Ray Bryant Combo. [21][22] His fame led to his home being visited by various celebrities. [116], In 2015, President Barack Obama wrote the following regarding Franklin:.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, Nobody embodies more fully the connection between the African-American spiritual, the blues, R. & B., rock and rollthe way that hardship and sorrow were transformed into something full of beauty and vitality and hope. Aretha Franklin's funeral fit for a queen 03:59 CNN Aretha Franklin, whose gospel-rooted singing and bluesy yet expansive delivery earned her the title " the Queen of Soul ," has died,. [79] The following year, she released "Get It Right", produced by Luther Vandross.[80]. The legendary singer is back in the spotlight thanks to Suzan-Lori Parkss Genius: Aretha, a new National Geographic series starring Cynthia Erivo as the singer. More than any other performer, she epitomized soul at its most gospel-charged". She provided money for civil rights groups, at times covering payroll, and performed at benefits and protests. [107][108][109] At the Ravinia Festival on September 3, 2017, she gave her last full concert. Her parents separated when she was six, and Franklin remained with her father in Detroit. He had been to our house during several parties. She then married her second husband, actor Glynn Turman, in 1978, and became stepmother of Turman's three children from a previous marriage. In 2020, he had supporting roles in the acclaimed features The Way Back and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. [6] In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked Franklin number one on its list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In 1985, inspired by a desire to have a "younger sound" in her music, Who's Zoomin' Who? 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 improvisations. He said he had an opportunity to spend time with his ex Aretha before her death. Aretha was married to Ted White in 1961, when the singer was 19. [32], During this time, Franklin would occasionally travel with the Soul Stirrers. 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 with the same name. 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. (1985). Aretha Franklin was married twice in her lifetime. Editor's note: The following article is an op-ed and the views expressed are the author's own. was bitterly opposed to the whole deal, wrote music journalist Mikal Gilmore in a sprawling 2018 obituary for Rolling Stone. [170] She was initially thought to have died without a will. 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. [46] By the end of 1961, Franklin was named as a "new-star female vocalist" in DownBeat magazine. 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". Aretha Franklin has died after a long battle with cancer. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Grant Rindner is a culture and music journalist in New York. During that time, Franklin immersed herself in getting her career back on the ascent, and Respect frames Turman as having a difficult time feeling like the less notable member of a celebrity couple. So I called Sam. In a later party scene, with the clearly pre-pubescent Aretha preparing to go to sleep in her bedroom, an unnamed man enters, closes the door and says that he'll be her "boyfriend.". Jail is hell to be in. [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. ", 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. [12] 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. They married six months after meeting 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. Franklin was featured on vocals and piano. [167][168] She was under hospice care and surrounded by friends and family. R.I.P. He served as her manager, and they had a son together, her third. [151] She again lost weight in the early 1990s, before gaining some back. [182] Among those who paid tribute to Aretha at the service were Ariana Grande, Bill Clinton, Rev. Her enormous discography includes 38 studio albums and 6 live albums. That seemed to be the kind of attention Franklin craved. [198] Franklin became the second woman inducted to the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. (Richard DuCree / National Geographic) Unlike most show business biographies, in which an artist . They were engaged in March of 1978. However, C.L. 3 [51], Franklin was the mother of four sons. Franklin, was a nationally known Baptist preacher and civil rights activist who, in spite of his religious commitments, impregnated a teenager at his church,. In 2020, Franklin was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Who is Glynn Turman? [234] Franklin's biopic Respect was released in August 2021 in various countries. She was the mother of four, and her first son was born in 1955 when she was 12. [41] During this period, Franklin would be coached by choreographer Cholly Atkins to prepare for her pop performances. Stevie Wonder, Jesse Jackson and former husband Glynn Turman visited her on her deathbed. The singer appeared in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers before releasing the successful albums Jump to It (1982), Who's Zoomin' Who? "Respect" became her signature song and was later hailed as a civil rights and feminist anthem. [118] When Angela Davis was jailed in 1970, Franklin told Jet: "Angela Davis must go free Black people will be free. She attended Northern High School. C.L. (1985) and Aretha (1986) on the Arista label. Franklin's nephew Vaughan complained of Williams: "He spoke for 50 minutes and at no time did he properly eulogize her. [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. Tragedy struck when Aretha's father was shot in 1979 and in a coma until his passing in 1984. This was reissued by Battle Records in 1962, under the same title. That's why, when she sits down at a piano and sings 'A Natural Woman,' she can move me to tearsthe same way that Ray Charles's version of 'America the Beautiful' will always be in my view the most patriotic piece of music ever performedbecause 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. 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 Franklin married Ted White in 1961 at age 19, and he served as her manager up until 1969, when the two got divorced. They did have a son, Kecalf, in March 1970. [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". [50], In the 1960s, during a performance at the Regal Theater in Chicago, WVON radio personality Pervis Spann announced that Franklin should be crowned "the Queen of Soul". [99][100][101][102] 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. When Aretha was two, the family relocated to Buffalo, New York. Over 75 million copies of her albums have been sold. Our editors handpick the products that we feature. Franklin grew up in Detroit, Michigan. Though Franklin and Turman did several high-profile interviews with the intention of painting their married life as idyllic, things reportedly started to erode. Ted White was Aretha Franklin's first husband and the father of her third son ( she'd had two children as a teenager). Aretha and actor Glynn Turman married on April 11, 1978, at her father's church. They separated when she was 6-year old. White, for his part, didnt exactly have a clean record, most notably with police looking for him after he allegedly shot an associate in the groin at Franklins home. By the late 1970s disco cramped Franklins style and eroded her popularity. By 19, Aretha married her manager, Ted White Snr, who allegedly introduced the singer to weed and alcohol. [65] She appeared on the cover of Time magazine in June.[66]. [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. My family supported me in every way, she wrote in her book. 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. [233], On January 29, 2018, Gary Graff confirmed that Jennifer Hudson would play Franklin in an upcoming biopic. See an exhibit on Aretha Franklin, and the Janis Joplin's famous psychedelic 1965 Porsche at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. [166] However, she scheduled some 2018 concert dates before canceling them based on her physician's advice. [39][40], After turning 18, Franklin confided to her father that she aspired to follow Sam Cooke in recording pop music, and moved to New York. In 1974, she lost 40 pounds (18kg) on a very-low-calorie diet[150] and maintained her new weight until the end of the decade. 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. Speaking to Billboard, his daughter, Tiki Wilkerson, talked about her father's connection to Franklin. [72] The live performances were filmed for a concert film directed by Sydney Pollack, but due to synching problems and Franklin's own attempts to prevent the film's distribution after Hollywood refused to promote a dark-skinned black woman as a movie star at the time, the film's release was only realized by producer Alan Elliott in November 2018. His name is a combination of his parents initials (Ken E. Cunningham and Aretha L. Franklin). Franklin's life is the subject of high-profile projects starring Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson.
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