• Faith: Christian
• Career: Musician
• Birthday:  March 25, 1942
• Date of Death:  August 16, 2018

Aretha Franklin was an American singer, songwriter and pianist whose powerful voice and gospel-influenced style earned her the title “Queen of Soul.” Over a career spanning more than six decades, Franklin became one of the most influential singers in American music, recording classics including “Respect,” “Think,” “Chain of Fools” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” She sold more than 75 million records worldwide and won 18 Grammy Awards.

Aretha Louise Franklin was born March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Baptist minister Clarence LaVaughn “C.L.” Franklin and pianist and vocalist Barbara Siggers Franklin. The family eventually settled in Detroit, where her father became pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church.

Franklin grew up surrounded by music, faith and prominent figures in the Black church and civil rights movement. Her father was a nationally known preacher whose home welcomed visitors including gospel singers Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward, as well as Martin Luther King Jr. and singer Sam Cooke.

Franklin’s parents separated when she was young, and her mother died in 1952, shortly before Franklin's 10th birthday. She learned to play piano by ear and began singing solos at New Bethel Baptist Church. By age 12, she was traveling with her father on gospel tours and performing in churches. She made some of her earliest recordings as a teenager, establishing the gospel foundation that remained central to her musical identity.

At 18, Franklin moved to New York and signed with Columbia Records. Although she earned recognition during her years with the label, major commercial success came after she signed with Atlantic Records in 1966.

Franklin's career exploded in 1967 with “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)” and her rendition of Otis Redding’s “Respect.” The latter became her signature song and was embraced as an anthem of both the civil rights and women's movements.

A string of hits followed, including “Chain of Fools,” “Think,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” “Ain’t No Way” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” Her albums Lady Soul and Aretha Now helped establish her as one of the defining artists of the late 1960s.

Franklin later signed with Arista Records and enjoyed another period of commercial success during the 1980s, including “Freeway of Love” and “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” her duet with George Michael.

She won 18 Grammy Awards and received the Grammy Legend Award and Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1987, Franklin became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She also received the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Franklin had four sons: Clarence, Edward, Ted White Jr. and Kecalf Cunningham. She became a mother for the first time at age 12 and had her second son two years later.

Franklin married her first husband, Ted White, in 1961. The couple divorced in 1969. In 1978, she married actor Glynn Turman, but that marriage ended in divorce in 1984. She later had a longtime relationship with Detroit firefighter Willie Wilkerson. They announced an engagement in 2012 but called off their wedding plans shortly afterward.

Franklin remained closely associated with Detroit throughout her life. She died at her Detroit home on August 16, 2018, at age 76. Her cause of death was a malignant pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. Her funeral, described as a “homegoing service,” was held at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, and she was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery.

Aretha Franklin's Religious Beliefs

Franklin was a lifelong Christian whose Baptist upbringing profoundly influenced both her personal life and musical career. As the daughter of Rev. C.L. Franklin, she was raised in the church and began singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church. Her first recordings were gospel songs performed while she was still a teenager.

Although Franklin became internationally famous for soul, R&B and pop music, she never left gospel behind. The vocal power, emotion and improvisation heard throughout her secular recordings were deeply rooted in the Black church tradition.

In 1972, Franklin returned to church to record the live gospel album Amazing Grace at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. The landmark recording became one of the most celebrated gospel albums in music history. She again emphasized her gospel roots with the 1987 double album One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, recorded at New Bethel Baptist Church.

Franklin openly credited God and her Christian faith with helping her through personal struggles and health challenges. Her connection to the church endured until her death, making gospel music and Christian faith inseparable parts of the legacy of the Queen of Soul.