Soul Stone

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Franklin's early life was shaped by gospel. She was born at home in Memphis, Tennessee, and moved to Detroit by age five. Her parents separated in 1948, and her mother died of a heart attack on March 7, 1952, before Aretha's 10th birthday. She learned piano by ear and dropped out of Northern High School during her second year. At age 12, she became pregnant with her first child, Clarence; she later wrote in her will that the father was Edward Jordan Sr, who was 12–13 years older. Her father's home was visited by celebrities including Martin Luther King Jr, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, and gospel musicians Clara Ward, James Cleveland, Albertina Walker, and Inez Andrews. Ward was romantically involved with Franklin's father from around 1949 until Ward's death in 1973.

In Their Own Story

Franklin began singing solos at New Bethel Baptist Church just after her mother's death, debuting with the hymn "Jesus, Be a Fence Around Me." At 12, her father managed her and took her on gospel caravan tours. In 1956, J.V.B. Records released her first single, "Never Grow Old," backed with "You Grow Closer." She was only 14 when Songs of Faith was recorded. At 16, she went on tour with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and would sing at his funeral in 1968. After turning 18, she moved to New York to record pop music. She signed with Columbia Records in 1960 as a "five-percent artist." Her first Columbia single, "Today I Sing the Blues," reached the top 10 of the Hot R&B Sides chart. In November 1966, Franklin's Columbia recording contract ended, and she signed with Atlantic Records, where she found acclaim and commercial success with hit albums including I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, Lady Soul, and Aretha Now in the late 1960s, and Young, Gifted and Black, Amazing Grace, and Sparkle in the 1970s.

Reader's Guide

Franklin is one of the best-selling music artists, with more than 75 million records sold worldwide. She had 112 singles on the US Billboard charts, including 73 Hot 100 entries, 17 top-ten pop singles, 96 R&B entries, and 20 number-one R&B singles. Her rendition of "Respect" is referred to as her signature song, and she is known for hits including "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," "Chain of Fools," "Think," "I Say a Little Prayer," "Rock Steady," "Day Dreaming," "Freeway of Love," and "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (a duet with George Michael). She made a featured appearance in the 1980 musical-comedy film The Blues Brothers. Franklin won 18 Grammy Awards out of 44 nominations, including the first eight awards given for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (1968–1975), as well as a Grammy Living Legend Award and Lifetime Achievement Award. She was awarded the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1987, she became the first female artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Other inductions include the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012, and posthumously the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2020 and the Volunteer State Music Hall of Fame in 2026. In 2019, the Pulitzer Prize jury awarded her a posthumous special citation.

Did You Know?

• Aretha Franklin was born at her family's home at 406 Lucy Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee.
• She became pregnant with her first child, Clarence, at age 12; she later wrote in her will that the father was Edward Jordan Sr, who was 12–13 years older than her.
• Franklin learned to play piano by ear after her mother's death.
• She was only 14 when her album Songs of Faith was recorded.
• Franklin was the first female artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.