Aretha Franklin

  

Maiia BrindleKnown as the Queen of Soul Ms Aretha Franklin is in hospice care at her home, a good time to say a little prayer and to reflect on a recording artist and a life like no other.    

  

Aretha Louise Franklin was born in  March of 1942. Her mother was a singing and piano teacher. When her Mum passed Aretha was nine years old, several women helped mind the Franklin children including her grandmother and Mahalia Jackson (a legendary gospel singer)

 

Her father Clarence - C.L. Franklin was also a singer until he joined the ministry. He was also an irreverent piece of work, Ray Charles is said to have described the church as a "sex circus". Such was the reputation that when Aretha became pregnant at 12 years of age people blamed him.

  

Wikipedia says that the Rev Franklin was known as the man with the "million-dollar voice" and he earned thousands of dollars for sermons across the country. His celebrity status led to the home being visited by celebrities and luminaries like Rev Dr Martin Luther King; Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke.

 

Despite the chaos, in 1960, age of 18, Aretha embarked on a secular career. Just before she would leave her pimp husband and a domestic violence situation she joined Atlantic Records in 1967.  Where she achieved commercial acclaim and success with songs such as "Respect", Natural Woman", "Spanish Harlem" and "Think".

  

By the end of the 1960s she had gained the title "The Queen of Soul". 

 

Franklin is one of the best-selling artists of all time, 75 million records, 42 studio albums,18 Grammys, she was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.  A champion of civil rights, she performed at Martin Luther King’s funeral, and at the inauguration Clinton and Obama.  She announced her retirement from stage work in 2017 aged 75.   

Here's her Grandaughter Victorie...  

 
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