The Queen: Aretha Franklin She was a traumatized child, a teenage mother, a gospel prodigy and a civil-rights champion. Cecil Franklin. Ted White was Aretha Franklin's first husband and the father of her third son ( she'd had two children as a teenager). [53], Producer Jerry Wexler convinced her to move to Atlantic Records. [32], During this time, Franklin would occasionally travel with the Soul Stirrers. Aretha Franklin married Ted White when she was a teenager In the early 1960s, Franklin was an up-and-coming singer while White was a sandlot promoter who dabbled in Detroit real estate. [139], Franklin had a long friendship with Willie Wilkerson, a Vietnam War veteran and Detroit firefighter, who also helped in her work and cared for her when ill.[140] In 2012 she announced plans to marry Wilkerson[141][142] but the engagement was quickly called off. Clarence Franklin was born in 1955, when Aretha Franklin was just 12 years old. Not long after releasing her first album in 1961, Franklin met White at a Detroit Club called 20 Grand. She already knew him. In 1978, Aretha Franklin married her second husband, actor Glynn Turman, in her father's church. Corrections? [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. I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You) (1967), recorded at Fame Studios in Florence, Alabama, was her first million-seller. The next seven years' achievements were less impressive. [67] That year, Franklin was the subject of a criminal impersonation scheme. According to sources in Respect, Franklin was happy to know she was having a child with Cunningham, but was hesitant at the time to marry again following her difficult split from White. The show's producers, desperate to fill the time slot, approached Franklin with their dilemma. [33] As a young gospel singer, Franklin spent summers on the gospel circuit in Chicago and stayed with Mavis Staples' family. Also How many times did Aretha Franklin marry? Turman and Franklin had both been previously married and entered their union with previous children. She was a friend of Pavarotti and had sung the aria two nights prior at the annual MusiCares event. "It's a legacy of heartbreak, joy, complexity, and triumph.. [118] When Angela Davis was jailed in 1970, Franklin told Jet: "Angela Davis must go free Black people will be free. [40] The 1991 album What You See is What You Sweat flopped on the charts. 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. But the lyrics for one of her first big hits may have struck closer to her heart than many realized. [136] Franklins father and idol, described as unorthodox on every level, knowingly preyed on his pre-teen congregants. [158], In May 2013, Franklin canceled two performances because of an undisclosed medical treatment. Despite their short marriage, the former couple remained close friends throughout the years. In 1985, inspired by a desire to have a "younger sound" in her music, Who's Zoomin' Who? [86][87], In 1995, she was selected to play Aunt Em in the Apollo Theater revival of The Wiz. Birthday: March 25, 1942 ( Aries) Born In: Memphis, Tennessee, United States 303 119 Pianists #14 Rhythm & Blues Singers #5 Gospel Singers #2 Quick Facts Also Known As: Aretha Louise Franklin Died At Age: 76 Family: Spouse/Ex-: Glynn Turman (m. 1978-1984), Ted White (m. 1961-1969) father: Clarence LaVaughn Franklin mother: Barbara Siggers Aretha Franklin was an American singer, songwriter, and civil rights activist. The song's B-side, "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man", reached the R&B top 40, peaking at number 37. Cunningham served as her manager for a time and the two lived together, but never married. Read more opinions on theGrio. Though Franklin and Turman did several high-profile interviews with the intention of painting their married life as idyllic, things reportedly started to erode. She channeled a world of pain into a sound all her own, but till the end,. But one of the wills states that Clarence's father was Edward Jordan Sr., with whom she also had her second son, Edward, in 1957. Franklin and White divorced in 1969, and had one child, Teddy Richards, a successful musician who played guitar in his mother's band. [56], In January 1967, Franklin traveled to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to record at FAME Studios and recorded the song "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)", backed by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. There were plans for her to record an album produced by Danger Mouse, who was replaced with Babyface and Don Was when Danger Mouse left the project. Franklin first met Cissy's young daughter, Whitney Houston, in the early 1970s. In 1967s I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You), she sang the words, I don't know why I let you do these things to me / My friends keep telling me that you ain't no good / But they don't know that I'd leave you if I could.. [210] The Aretha Franklin Post Office Building was named in 2021, and is located at 12711 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Aretha Franklin, in full Aretha Louise Franklin, (born March 25, 1942, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.died August 16, 2018, Detroit, Michigan), American singer who defined the golden age of soul music of the 1960s. Bush. She had four sons, one of which she shares with White. Glynn Russell Turman is a proud father of three children. "I felt like she needed counseling cause she kept missing gigs and kept taking all kinds of abuse from Ted. Her father, C.L. When Aretha was two, the family relocated to Buffalo, New York. Ted and Aretha welcomed their son Ted White Jr. in February 1964. 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. From that first session, Today I Sing the Blues (1960) remains a classic. [1] White was the manager and first husband of soul singer Aretha Franklin. And she doesnt want any reference to it., But now and then, she would drop hints that being the Queen of Soul was not easy on her own soul. Her father was something of a celebrity in Detroit . Aretha Franklin was engaged to Willie Wilkerson (2012). In 2010, Franklin accepted an honorary degree from Yale University. 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. Advertisement ARETHA'S MARRIAGE Aretha Franklin and actor Glynn Turman both had failed marriages when they started falling in love. Her enormous discography includes 38 studio albums and 6 live albums. wasn't his biological father until 1951 ). (1942-2018) Who Was Aretha Franklin? "American history wells up when Aretha sings", President Obama explained in response to her performance of "A Natural Woman" at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors. [107][108][109] At the Ravinia Festival on September 3, 2017, she gave her last full concert. Barbara Siggers was born in Shelby, Mississippi in 1917 (per The Sun).According to Smooth Radio, she married pastor C.L. She was praised for her arrangements and interpretations of other artists' hit songs. [157] On May 19, 2011, Franklin had her comeback show at the Chicago Theatre. Franklin, presided over the New Bethel Baptist Church of Detroit, Michigan, and was a minister of national influence. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. At the time of their marriage, Franklin had four children and Turman had three of his own. Because she and Ted White had basically run off to marry, Aretha felt that she had missed out on a storybook wedding. [24] She was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in 2005,[197] and the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2015. Her family always had her back, with Franklin saying her dad was not judgmental, narrow or scolding about her youthful pregnancies. [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. Aretha Franklin's Granddaughter Performs Iconic Singer's 'Ain't No Way' for 'American Idol' Audition. [25] Ward also served as a role model to the young Aretha. [179] Thousands then paid their respects during the public lying-in-repose at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. After her fairy tale wedding and her enormous effort to paint a perfect picture in all the magazines, the end of this relationship was especially painful.. Her parents separated when she was six, and Franklin remained with her father in Detroit. [175][176] Numerous celebrities in the entertainment industry and politicians paid tribute to Franklin, including former U.S. President Barack Obama who said she "helped define the American experience". [163] During a phone interview with the Associated Press in late August 2013, Franklin stated that she had had a "miraculous" recovery from her undisclosed illness but had to cancel shows and appearances until her health was at 100%, estimating she was about "85% healed". Read more opinions on theGrio. By the mid-1960s, Franklin was making $100,000 per year from countless performances in nightclubs and theaters. White and Franklin were married just six months after meeting in 1961 when she was only 18. Ted was 30 years old when he married Aretha Franklin. [38] Also important was James Cleveland, known as the King of Gospel music, "who helped to focus her early career as a gospel singer"; Cleveland had been recruited by her father as a pianist for the Southern California Community Choir. [65] She appeared on the cover of Time magazine in June.[66]. [169] Franklin died at her home on August 16, 2018, aged 76. He was a handsome man with a smooth manner and excellent taste. [76] "Davis was beguiling and had the golden touch", according to Rolling Stone. In 2005 Franklin received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for revolutionizing music and helping to shape our Nations artistic and cultural heritage. Today she is widely considered the Queen of Soul.. The album's title track was her first top-40 single on the pop charts in six years. Take a look back at Aretha Franklin's life, as she tells it through a . Her parents separated, and Aretha lived with . As a civil-rights-minded nation lent greater support to black urban music, Franklin was crowned the Queen of Soul. Respect, her 1967 cover of Otis Reddings spirited composition, became an anthem operating on personal, sexual, and racial levels. There were also headlining-grabbing incidents during the period, including when Franklin received a reckless driving charge in Detroit for running two cars off a road in 1968, as well as when she was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly trying to hit two police officers after a traffic infringement in Michigan. [234] Franklin's biopic Respect was released in August 2021 in various countries. Aretha Franklin's former love interest and longtime friend, Willie Wilkerson, Jr. has died from the COVID-19 virus at the age of 72. . While her career did not immediately flourish, Franklin found acclaim and commercial success once she signed with Atlantic Records in 1966. Aretha Franklin dies at 76. Her most famous songs include Respect (1967), I Say a Little Prayer (1968), Chain of Fools (1967), and Until You Come Back to Me (Thats What Im Gonna Do) (1973). In Respect, the struggles of Franklins romantic life are portrayed by some around her as being connected to her tremendous artistic gifts, most notably by her brother, Rev. Recording equipment was installed inside New Bethel Baptist Church and nine tracks were recorded.[when?] [51][34] Spann ceremonially placed a crown on her head. He served as her manager, and they had a son together, her third. The album of the same name was released after the single. That February, Franklin earned the first two of her Grammys, including the debut category for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The couple met backstage at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion during a Ben Vereen show. [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. Between 1955 and 1970, Franklin had sons Clarence, Edward, Teddy, and Kecalf, all of whom ultimately followed their mother into . Aretha Franklin remarried. (1985) and Aretha (1986) on the Arista label. [103][104] Dropping the coat was symbolic according to "Rolling Stone": it "echoed back to those times when gospel queens would toss their furs on top of the coffins of other gospel queens a gesture that honored the dead but castigated death itself". [44], In January 1961, Columbia issued Franklin's first album, Aretha: With The Ray Bryant Combo. Somebody else is making her sing the blues., Over the years, other reports have backed up the Time allegations. As a teen, Aretha Franklin sang in a junior gospel choir. However, she struggled with commercial success while at Columbia. Notably, all three of Turman's children have pursued his footsteps. Ted was into something else. She was delivered at her family's home located at 406 Lucy Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee. [40] The Atlantic days would lead to a series of hits for Aretha Franklin from 1967 to early 1972; her rapport with Wexler helped in the creation of the majority of her peak recordings with Atlantic. Some of these releases were from the acclaimed albums Spirit in the Dark and Young, Gifted and Black. "He was a fixture at the clubs. "She was a very large part of his life," she said. [47] Also during that period, she appeared on rock-and-roll shows, such as Hollywood a Go-Go and Shindig! But no one appointed me her counselor and I simply shut up and supervised the session. "Respect" was Otis Redding's song but Aretha modified it with a "supercharged interlude featuring the emphatic spelling-out of the song's title". [35], Franklin and her father traveled to California, where she met singer Sam Cooke. She was delivered at her family's home located at 406 Lucy Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee. A reluctant interviewee, Franklin kept her private life private, claiming that the popular perception associating her with the unhappiness of singers Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday was misinformed. She called him all the time. Aretha Franklin was married twice in her lifetime. [177] Civil rights activist and minister Al Sharpton called her a "civil rights and humanitarian icon". 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,. The couple had a contentious. Record producer Jerry Wexler, Franklin, and White. In 2004, Franklin announced that she was leaving Arista after more than 20 years with the label. [51], Franklin was the mother of four sons. [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. You make mistakes. Aretha was married to Ted White in 1961, when the singer was 19. However, Franklin's family denounced the series, claiming to be uninvolved with the production process, despite the production team stating that the series had been endorsed by the Franklin estate. I asked my father if we could use his new car to go on Sam's tour.' Her father [the legendary Reverend C.L. [134] After a contentious marriage that was marred by domestic abuse, Franklin separated from White in 1968 and divorced him in 1969. However, just a few weeks later, the engagement ended. R.I.P. "I knew Ted White, as did most entertainers in Detroit," Aretha's sister, the late singer Erma Franklin, said in the book. Ted wasnt really talking to me and I was happy not to talk to him. She provided money for civil rights groups, at times covering payroll, and performed at benefits and protests. Grant Rindner is a culture and music journalist in New York. Amazing Grace (1972), a live recording of her performance with a choir at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, is considered one of the great gospel albums of any era. [16][15] Aretha's mother died of a heart attack on March 7, 1952, before Aretha's 10th birthday. [94] On February 8, 2008, Franklin was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year, and performed "Never Gonna Break My Faith", which had won her the Grammy for best Gospel performance[95] the year before. Aretha Louise Franklin was the daughter of Rev. According to Daily Mail, Aretha Franklin's early career was reportedly bankrolled by Ted White, the man she walked down . On November 18, 2008, she performed "Respect" and "Chain of Fools" at Dancing with the Stars. Type. [60] In 1968, Franklin issued the top-selling albums Lady Soul and Aretha Now, which included some of her most popular hit singles, including "Chain of Fools", "Ain't No Way", "Think", and "I Say a Little Prayer". We may earn commission from the links on this page.