Aretha Franklin.Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty
Born in Memphis on March 25, 1942,Aretha Franklingot a taste for gospel musicthanks to her father, Rev. C. L. Franklin. She eventually toured the country in her dad’s gospel caravan before landing a contract with Columbia Records, and later, Atlantic. It was then her career took off;her 1967 albumI Never Loved a Man the Way I Love Youwent gold.From there, it was non-stop hits and accolades for the beloved singer, until her death on Aug. 16, 2018, at 76 years old. Here, revisit her life and career in photos.
Born in Memphis on March 25, 1942,Aretha Franklingot a taste for gospel musicthanks to her father, Rev. C. L. Franklin. She eventually toured the country in her dad’s gospel caravan before landing a contract with Columbia Records, and later, Atlantic. It was then her career took off;her 1967 albumI Never Loved a Man the Way I Love Youwent gold.
From there, it was non-stop hits and accolades for the beloved singer, until her death on Aug. 16, 2018, at 76 years old. Here, revisit her life and career in photos.
01of 22Aretha Franklin’s Early YearsAretha Franklin.Michael Ochs Archives/GettyAt age 5 she moved to Detroit, where her dad became pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church and encouraged her talents.The singer had two sisters and one brother, as well as a half-brother from her mother’s previous relationship. Her parents separated when she was young, though never divorced; her mom Barbara moved to Buffalo, New York, and would make trips back to Detroit to visit her children.
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Aretha Franklin’s Early Years
Aretha Franklin.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
At age 5 she moved to Detroit, where her dad became pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church and encouraged her talents.
The singer had two sisters and one brother, as well as a half-brother from her mother’s previous relationship. Her parents separated when she was young, though never divorced; her mom Barbara moved to Buffalo, New York, and would make trips back to Detroit to visit her children.
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Aretha Franklin’s Family Tragedy
Aretha Franklin.Anthony Barboza/Getty
“She and my dad (pictured with Aretha and sister Carolyn) were very, very, very close,” the singer’s sister Erma told PEOPLE in 1985. “She depended on him and his advice, and when she was living in California, she’d call him three or four times a day.”
03of 22Aretha Franklin and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Aretha Franklin.EverettDr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a friend of Franklin’s father; thus the singer joined the civil rights leader on tour, along with Harry Belafonte, Andrew Young and Jesse Jackson.“I don’t think anyone knew how significant he would be in history, but everyone knew what he was trying to do,“she later recalled toEbony.“I always had a great admiration for him and his sense of decency and the justice that he wanted. He was a good man. Just a plain old good man, good person, and you can’t help but admire that. He had values and principles and very high standards.”
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Aretha Franklin and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Aretha Franklin.Everett
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a friend of Franklin’s father; thus the singer joined the civil rights leader on tour, along with Harry Belafonte, Andrew Young and Jesse Jackson.
“I don’t think anyone knew how significant he would be in history, but everyone knew what he was trying to do,“she later recalled toEbony.“I always had a great admiration for him and his sense of decency and the justice that he wanted. He was a good man. Just a plain old good man, good person, and you can’t help but admire that. He had values and principles and very high standards.”
04of 22Aretha Franklin’s ChildrenAretha Franklin.Larry French/BET/GettyFranklin had her first child, a son named Clarence, as a pre-teen; two years later she welcomed a second child, Edward (pictured). She never publicly identified the boys' fathers.
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Aretha Franklin’s Children
Aretha Franklin.Larry French/BET/Getty
Franklin had her first child, a son named Clarence, as a pre-teen; two years later she welcomed a second child, Edward (pictured). She never publicly identified the boys' fathers.
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Aretha Franklin and Ted White
A 19-year-old Franklin married Ted White in 1961; not long after, he started managing her career. However, according to a 1968 TIME story, he “roughed her up” more than once, and the two ultimately divorced in 1969.
06of 22Aretha Franklin’s Big BreakAretha Franklin.Metronome/GettyIt was in the late 1960s when Franklin’s career really took off; her albumsLady SoulandAretha Nowdropped in 1968, and included the mega-hits “Chain of Fools,” “Think” and “I Say a Little Prayer.”
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Aretha Franklin’s Big Break
Aretha Franklin.Metronome/Getty
It was in the late 1960s when Franklin’s career really took off; her albumsLady SoulandAretha Nowdropped in 1968, and included the mega-hits “Chain of Fools,” “Think” and “I Say a Little Prayer.”
07of 22Aretha Franklin’s Grammy WinsAretha Franklin.Gilles Petard/RedfernsBy 1970, she hadfive Grammys under her beltin categories including Best R&B Recording and Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Female. She went on to earn 44 nominations and 18 total statues.
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Aretha Franklin’s Grammy Wins
Aretha Franklin.Gilles Petard/Redferns
By 1970, she hadfive Grammys under her beltin categories including Best R&B Recording and Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Female. She went on to earn 44 nominations and 18 total statues.
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Aretha Franklin.Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
09of 22Aretha Franklin and Cissy HoustonAretha Franklin.L. Busacca/WireImageCissy Houston was working her way up in the music industry when she was hired tosing backup on some of Franklin’s songs.She went on to launch a solo career and win two Grammys of her own, and evenre-joined Franklin for a 2014 performanceon theLate Show with David Letterman.
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Aretha Franklin and Cissy Houston
Aretha Franklin.L. Busacca/WireImage
Cissy Houston was working her way up in the music industry when she was hired tosing backup on some of Franklin’s songs.She went on to launch a solo career and win two Grammys of her own, and evenre-joined Franklin for a 2014 performanceon theLate Show with David Letterman.
10of 22Aretha Franklin and Whitney HoustonAretha Franklin.Michael Ochs Archives/GettyFranklin formed a lifelong bond with the Houston family, thanks to her work with Cissy.“I met Whitney (right, with Franklin and producer Narada Michael Walden) when her mother, Cissy, who was singing with me, brought her to one of my recording sessions,“Franklin recalled toRollingStoneafter Houston’s death in 2012. “She was around 9 or 10, with little red pigtails and her hair parted in the middle. I think Cissy had instructed her to be very quiet, because she didn’t say too much after that. She was just very quiet and very attentive, a pretty little girl.“By the time she was a young lady, Luther Vandross and I were talking about her. She knew how to be glamorous and graceful. She had class. She knew where she was going. It was clear her and her mother both had a similar quality to their voices - the genetics were just unbelievable. Just like her mom, she was one of the great sopranos.”
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Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston
Franklin formed a lifelong bond with the Houston family, thanks to her work with Cissy.
“I met Whitney (right, with Franklin and producer Narada Michael Walden) when her mother, Cissy, who was singing with me, brought her to one of my recording sessions,“Franklin recalled toRollingStoneafter Houston’s death in 2012. “She was around 9 or 10, with little red pigtails and her hair parted in the middle. I think Cissy had instructed her to be very quiet, because she didn’t say too much after that. She was just very quiet and very attentive, a pretty little girl.
“By the time she was a young lady, Luther Vandross and I were talking about her. She knew how to be glamorous and graceful. She had class. She knew where she was going. It was clear her and her mother both had a similar quality to their voices - the genetics were just unbelievable. Just like her mom, she was one of the great sopranos.”
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Aretha Franklin and Glynn Turman
“I’ve never seen Aretha in better spirits,“her brother Cecil told PEOPLE. “She’s as happy as she’s ever been. She’s not singing the blues.”
His longtime friend, actor Lou Gossett, told PEOPLE, “Glynn and Aretha are two halves of a circle. She’s got guts and soul and he’s got a disciplined, artistic temperament. They’re very close buddies too, and that’s an indication of a long-term relationship.”
They never had children together, though Franklin did become stepmother to Turman’s three children from a previous relationship. The couple divorced in 1984.
12of 22Aretha Franklin in LondonAretha Franklin.David Redfern/RedfernsAt a 1980 performance at the London Palladium to celebrate the Queen Mum’s 80th birthday, Franklin joked thatQueen Elizabethswayed so hard in the royal box that her crown slipped, according to a 1981 PEOPLE story.
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Aretha Franklin in London
Aretha Franklin.David Redfern/Redferns
At a 1980 performance at the London Palladium to celebrate the Queen Mum’s 80th birthday, Franklin joked thatQueen Elizabethswayed so hard in the royal box that her crown slipped, according to a 1981 PEOPLE story.
13of 22Aretha Franklin in Blues BrothersAretha Franklin.Sunset Boulevard/Corbis/GettyFranklin showed off her acting chops in 1980’sBlues Brothers, and “knocked everyone out,” star John Belushi told PEOPLE. “She’s a fine, fine actress, and I’d work with her again anytime.” He wasn’t alone: Universal Pictures even ran a campaign to get Franklin a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nod, though failed. Still, “I was very pleased with my performance,” she said.
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Aretha Franklin in Blues Brothers
Aretha Franklin.Sunset Boulevard/Corbis/Getty
Franklin showed off her acting chops in 1980’sBlues Brothers, and “knocked everyone out,” star John Belushi told PEOPLE. “She’s a fine, fine actress, and I’d work with her again anytime.” He wasn’t alone: Universal Pictures even ran a campaign to get Franklin a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nod, though failed. Still, “I was very pleased with my performance,” she said.
14of 22Aretha Franklin in the Rock and Roll Hall of FameAretha Franklin.Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagicIn January of 1987, Franklin became the first woman ever to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was unable to attend the ceremony, but sent Clive Davis and brother Cecil Franklin to speak on her behalf.“We feel that tonight is the, the greatest night in the life of Miss Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul,“her brother said. “Tonight, Aretha has been written into history.”
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Aretha Franklin in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Aretha Franklin.Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
In January of 1987, Franklin became the first woman ever to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was unable to attend the ceremony, but sent Clive Davis and brother Cecil Franklin to speak on her behalf.
“We feel that tonight is the, the greatest night in the life of Miss Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul,“her brother said. “Tonight, Aretha has been written into history.”
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Aretha Franklin’s Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
Aretha Franklin.Mike Albans/AP/REX/Shutterstock
16of 22Aretha Franklin’s Presidential Medal of FreedomAretha Franklin.Douglas A. Sonders/GettyPresident George W. Bush gave Franklin the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005,recognizing her asone of “our nation’s greatest musical artists.” He also praised her for “her lifetime of achievement and for helping to shape our nation’s artistic and cultural heritage.”
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Aretha Franklin’s Presidential Medal of Freedom
Aretha Franklin.Douglas A. Sonders/Getty
President George W. Bush gave Franklin the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005,recognizing her asone of “our nation’s greatest musical artists.” He also praised her for “her lifetime of achievement and for helping to shape our nation’s artistic and cultural heritage.”
17of 22Aretha Franklin Sings the National AnthemAretha Franklin.GENE J. PUSKAR/AP/REX/ShutterstockThoughBillboardcalledthe 2006 Super Bowl national anthemperformance one of the worst, Franklin made up for it 10 years later with a five-minute anthem before a 2016 Detroit Lions football game.
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Aretha Franklin Sings the National Anthem
Aretha Franklin.GENE J. PUSKAR/AP/REX/Shutterstock
ThoughBillboardcalledthe 2006 Super Bowl national anthemperformance one of the worst, Franklin made up for it 10 years later with a five-minute anthem before a 2016 Detroit Lions football game.
18of 22Aretha Franklin at Barack Obama’s InaugurationAretha Franklin.REX/ShutterstockHer appearance at PresidentBarack Obama’s 2009 inauguration was incredible, but what really got people talking was her Swarovski-crystal-studded hat, which quickly took off as the day’s most major meme.
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Aretha Franklin at Barack Obama’s Inauguration
Aretha Franklin.REX/Shutterstock
Her appearance at PresidentBarack Obama’s 2009 inauguration was incredible, but what really got people talking was her Swarovski-crystal-studded hat, which quickly took off as the day’s most major meme.
19of 22Aretha Franklin and Willie WilkersonAretha Franklin.Mike Coppola/GettyIn January 2012,Franklin announced her engagementto “forever friend” William “Willie” Wilkerson,whom she’d been quietly datingsince the 1980s. Weeks later, though,the pair called off the nuptials, saying they were “moving too fast.”
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Aretha Franklin and Willie Wilkerson
Aretha Franklin.Mike Coppola/Getty
In January 2012,Franklin announced her engagementto “forever friend” William “Willie” Wilkerson,whom she’d been quietly datingsince the 1980s. Weeks later, though,the pair called off the nuptials, saying they were “moving too fast.”
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Aretha Franklin.Paul Marotta/Getty
In 2014, Franklin was one of eight honorees at Harvard’s commencement ceremony; she received an honorary doctor of arts. She showed off her vocal chops and her piano skills,performing a rousing rendition of the national anthem.
21of 22Aretha Franklin in 2015Aretha Franklin.Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS/GettyPaying tribute to Carole King at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors, Franklin had the crowd on its feet (and tears in PresidentBarack Obama’s eyes)as she belted”(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” Franklin herself was an honoree - the youngest ever - of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1994, during Bill Clinton’s presidency.
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Aretha Franklin in 2015
Aretha Franklin.Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS/Getty
Paying tribute to Carole King at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors, Franklin had the crowd on its feet (and tears in PresidentBarack Obama’s eyes)as she belted”(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” Franklin herself was an honoree - the youngest ever - of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1994, during Bill Clinton’s presidency.
22of 22Aretha Franklin’s Later YearsAretha Franklin.Rick Diamond/GettySpeaking to PEOPLE at her 74th birthday party in New York City in 2016, Franklin said she didn’t have plans to slow down.“I’m here!“she said with a smile. “I’m not going anywhere. This is what I do. I’m going to be around. I’ll be like Perry Como [was], somewhere on a couch laying down with a microphone, still singing.“The singer later added, “I’m a little tired, but I’m still enjoying all of it. Every birthday is a gift. Every day is a gift.“Reports of declining health had been circulating for years, though the singer never confirmed any rumors of cancer or other such illnesses.Franklin died on Aug. 16, 2018. She was 76.
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Aretha Franklin’s Later Years
Aretha Franklin.Rick Diamond/Getty
Speaking to PEOPLE at her 74th birthday party in New York City in 2016, Franklin said she didn’t have plans to slow down.
“I’m here!“she said with a smile. “I’m not going anywhere. This is what I do. I’m going to be around. I’ll be like Perry Como [was], somewhere on a couch laying down with a microphone, still singing.”
The singer later added, “I’m a little tired, but I’m still enjoying all of it. Every birthday is a gift. Every day is a gift.”
Reports of declining health had been circulating for years, though the singer never confirmed any rumors of cancer or other such illnesses.
Franklin died on Aug. 16, 2018. She was 76.
source: people.com
