Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin performing in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Aretha Louise Franklin
Born	March 25, 1942 (1942-03-25) (age 66) Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Origin	Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genre(s)	Soul, R&B, blues, gospel, jazz, rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, pianist
Instrument(s)	Singing, piano
Voice type(s)	Mezzo-Soprano
Years active	1956 – Present
Label(s)	Columbia (1960–1966) Atlantic (1967–1979) Arista (1980–2003) Aretha (2004–present)
Associated acts	The Sweet Inspirations, Carolyn Franklin, Erma Franklin, Cissy Houston, George Benson, George Michael, Michael McDonald

Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Memphis is a City in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the County seat of Shelby County. Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States. The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both A pianist (/'piənɪst/ is a Musician who plays the Piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces play with an ensemble or Orchestra A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with Speech. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers A voice type is a particular kind of human Singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company Atlantic Records ( Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American Record label best known for its many recordings of Rhythm & blues, Rock Arista Records (ˈɛərɪstə is an American Record label. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operates under the The Sweet Inspirations were founded by Cissy Houston (AKA Emily Drinkard mother of Whitney Houston, and sister of Lee Warrick (herself the mother of well-known sisters Carolyn Ann Franklin ( May 13 1944, Memphis Tennessee – April 25 1988) was the younger sister of Soul music singer Erma Vernice Franklin ( March 13, 1938 – September 7, 2002) was an American soul, Rhythm and blues, and Emily Drinkard (born September 30, 1933) better known as Cissy Houston, is an American soul and gospel singer George Benson (b March 22 1943, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania) is an American musician whose recording career began at the age of twenty-one Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (Γεώργιος Κυριάκος Παναγιώτου (born 25 June 1963 best known as George Michael, is a two-time Grammy Award winning Michael McDonald (born February 12, 1952, in St Louis Missouri) is an American R&B / soul Singer and Songwriter Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both A pianist (/'piənɪst/ is a Musician who plays the Piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces play with an ensemble or Orchestra She is known to her fans "The Queen of Soul" and is also affectionately called "Sister Ree". She is renowned for her soul recordings but is also adept at jazz, rock, blues, pop, gospel, and even opera. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto ^[1] She is widely acclaimed for her passionate, soulful vocal style, which is aided by a massive and powerful vocal range.

Franklin is the second most honored female singer in Grammy history (after Alison Krauss). Alison Krauss ( born July 23 1971 is an American bluegrass - country singer and Fiddle player She has won twenty Grammy Awards, which includes the Living Legend Grammy and the Lifetime Achievement Grammy. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Aretha won eight consecutive awards between 1968 and 1975,^[2] during which time the category of Best Female R&B Vocal Performance was nicknamed "The Aretha Award". The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance has been awarded since 1968 ^[3]

Franklin has had a total of seventeen top ten singles on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. Two of them became #1 hit songs on the Billboard Hot 100 as well, "Respect" in the 1960s and her 1980s duet with George Michael, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)". " Respect " is a song written and originally released by Stax recording artist Otis Redding in 1965 Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (Γεώργιος Κυριάκος Παναγιώτου (born 25 June 1963 best known as George Michael, is a two-time Grammy Award winning

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life and career 1.2 "Queen of Soul" 1.3 Decline and tragedy 1.4 Return to prominence 1.5 Recent years 1.6 Personal life 1.7 Voice 2 Awards and achievements 2.1 Grammy Awards 3 Discography 4 Filmography 5 TV Talkshow Music Appearances 6 References 7 External links

Biography

Early life and career

Franklin was born on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee to the Rev. C. L. Franklin, a Baptist minister, and Barbara Siggers Franklin. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Memphis is a City in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the County seat of Shelby County. Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. The Reverend Clarence LaVaughn Franklin ( January 22, 1915 &ndash July 27, 1984) was a highly influential African American Baptist Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Barbara Vernice Siggers Franklin (born June 29, 1917 in Shelby Mississippi; died in 1952 in Buffalo New York) was the Mother of Aretha's parents had a troubled relationship and they separated when Aretha was six. Siggers died of a heart attack when Franklin was ten. Myocardial infarction ( MI or AMI for acute myocardial infarction) also known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply The fourth of five siblings, Aretha's father's first pulpit after Memphis was in Buffalo, New York. Buffalo (ˈbʌfəloʊ is the second largest city in New York State. The family subsequently moved to Detroit, Michigan where Rev. Franklin assumed the pulpit of the New Bethel Baptist Church, and gained national fame as a preacher. Adept at the piano as well as having a gifted voice, Franklin became a child prodigy. By the age of fourteen, she signed a record deal with Checker Records, where her father recorded his sermons and gospel vocal recordings and issued The Gospel Soul of Aretha Franklin in 1956. Checker Records was started in 1952 as Her earlier influences included Clara Ward and Mahalia Jackson, both of whom spent a lot of time in Aretha's home. Clara Ward ( April 21 1924 - January 16 1973) was a gospel artist who achieved great success both artistic and commercial in Mahalia Jackson (October 26 1911 In 1929 Jackson met the composer Thomas A

Teenage pregnancies derailed Franklin's gospel career when she gave birth to the first and second of her four sons in 1954 and 1956. By the time she returned to singing, instead of performing gospel and inspired by the successes of idols Dinah Washington and Sam Cooke, Aretha decided to secure herself a deal as a pop artist. Dinah Washington ( August 29, 1924 &ndash December 14, 1963) was a Blues, R&B and Jazz singer Sam Cooke ( January 22, 1931 &ndash December 11, 1964) was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and After being offered contracts from Motown and RCA, Franklin signed with Columbia Records in 1960. "Motown" redirects here For the city see Detroit Michigan. RCA Records (originally The Victor Talking Machine Company, then RCA Victor is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company Her recordings during that time reflected a jazz influence inspired by Washington and moved away from her gospel roots. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Franklin initially scored a few hits on Columbia including her version of "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby (With A Dixie Melody)", which peaked at number 37 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in 1961, and the Top 10 R&B hits, "Today I Sing The Blues", "Won't Be Long" and "Operation Heartbreak". However, by the end of 1966, with little commercial success in six years with Columbia and desperate for a sound, she accepted an offer to sign with Atlantic Records. Atlantic Records ( Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American Record label best known for its many recordings of Rhythm & blues, Rock According to Franklin years later, "they made me sit down on the piano and the hits came. "

"Queen of Soul"

In 1967 Franklin issued her first Atlantic single, "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)", a blues ballad that introduced listeners to her gospel style. I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You is an album by Aretha Franklin, released on March 10, 1967 (see 1967 in music) The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Produced by Jerry Wexler, the song became Franklin's breakthrough single reaching the Top 10 on the Hot 100, and holding the #1 spot for 7 weeks on Billboard's R&B Singles chart. Gerald "Jerry" Wexler ( January 10 1917 &ndash August 15 2008) was a music journalist turned music producer and was regarded The B-side to the single, "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man", charted on the R&B side, and introduced a more gospel element to Franklin's developing sound.

Her next single, "Respect", firmly launched Franklin to superstardom. " Respect " is a song written and originally released by Stax recording artist Otis Redding in 1965 Written and originally recorded by Otis Redding, Franklin's feminist version of the song became her signature tune for life hitting #1 on both the R&B and the Pop charts - holding the top spot on the former chart for a record 8 weeks - and helping her Atlantic debut album, I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You, reach million-seller status. Otis Ray Redding Jr ( September 9, 1941 December 10, 1967) was an American soul singer Feminism is a discourse that involves various movements theories, and Philosophies which are concerned with the issue of Gender difference, advocate In the next ten months, Franklin released a number of top ten hits including "Baby I Love You", "Chain Of Fools" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman". For the 2000 film see Chain of Fools (film. " Chain of Fools " is a successful song written by Don Covay.

In early 1968 Franklin won her first two Grammies (for "Respect"), including the first Grammy awarded in the "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" category. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance has been awarded since 1968 Franklin went on to win eight "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" awards in a row. ^[2] Over the next seven years, Franklin continued to score hit singles including "Think", "The House That Jack Built", "I Say A Little Prayer" (a cover of Dionne Warwick's hit), "Call Me" (a US #13), "Don't Play That Song" (US #11) and "Spanish Harlem (song)"a cover of Ben E. King's 1960 hit, reached #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 and gave Aretha her first Top 10 Adult Contemporary (at the time labeled Easy Listening) hit. For other uses see Think (disambiguation "Think" is the name of a hit single released by American R&B " This Is the House That Jack Built " is a popular British Nursery rhyme, first popularized by Randolph Caldecott. " I Say a Little Prayer " is a song written by songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick in 1967. Dionne Warwick (born Marie Dionne Warrick on December 12, 1940) is an acclaimed five-time Grammy Award -winning singer actress activist " Spanish Harlem " is a song released by Ben E King in 1961 on Atco Records, written by Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector. Ben E King (born Benjamin Earl Nelson, September 28 1938) is an American soul Singer. </ref>

By the end of the 1960s, Franklin's position as The Queen of Soul was firmly established. Her albums were also hot sellers; one in particular, 1972's Amazing Grace, eventually sold over two million US copies, becoming "the best-selling gospel album of all time". Amazing Grace is a 1972 Album by R&B / gospel legend Aretha Franklin. ^[4] Franklin's hit streak continued into the mid-1970s. 1973's emotional plea "Angel", produced by Quincy Jones and written by Franklin's sister Carolyn, was a stand out single that became yet another #1 on the R&B chart. Quincy Delight Jones Jr (born March 14, 1933) also known as Q, is an American Music Impresario, conductor Carolyn Ann Franklin ( May 13 1944, Memphis Tennessee – April 25 1988) was the younger sister of Soul music singer The subsequent album Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky), however, was not successful. Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky is an 1973 Album released by R&B / Soul icon Aretha Franklin.

1974's Gold-certified single "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" hit #1 R&B and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. " Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do " is the name of a song written by Morris Broadnax, Clarence Paul, and Stevie Wonder By 1975, however, with the expanding exposure of Disco and the popularity of fellow Atlantic artist Roberta Flack, relations between Franklin and Atlantic Records were starting to strain. Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define Roberta Flack (born February 10, 1937) is an American Singer-songwriter and Musician who is notable in the areas of Jazz As a result, Aretha was recording poor material such as 1975's listless You album, and her record sales declined dramatically. Franklin had peaked while the music industry was moving on to younger black female singers such as Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan, and Donna Summer. Natalie Cole (born Natalie Maria Cole on February 6 1950) is an influential American Singer-songwriter and performer who has Chaka Khan (born March 23, 1953) is a multiple Grammy Award -winning American singer known for hit songs such as "I'm Every Woman" "I Feel Donna Summer (born LaDonna Adrian Gaines December 31, 1948) is an American Singer-songwriter and Musician who gained

Decline and tragedy

In 1976, Franklin's Curtis Mayfield-produced soundtrack of the film, Sparkle, briefly brought Franklin out of her funk. Curtis Lee Mayfield ( June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, R&B, and Funk Sparkle is an Aretha Franklin album written and produced by Curtis Mayfield. It was her first album to reach Gold status since the landmark Amazing Grace. The suggestive "(Giving Him) Something He Can Feel" became a number-one R&B smash and reached #28 on the Pop side. However, it was Aretha's only Pop Top 40 appearance during the second half of the 1970s. Her later period Atlantic albums including Sweet Passion, Almighty Fire and La Diva were critical as well as sales failures and to top it off Franklin owed major debts to the IRS for failure to pay back taxes. The Her recording contract with Atlantic ran out at the end of 1979 and neither Aretha nor the company had any desire to renew it. On June 10, 1979, Franklin's minister father, the Rev. C. L. Franklin, was seriously wounded during what was said to be an attempted robbery at his Linwood Avenue home in Detroit, leaving him in a comatose state in which he remained until he died in the summer of 1984.

Return to prominence

In 1980, Franklin's career was given a much-needed boost thanks to a cameo appearance on The Blues Brothers, singing Think as Mrs. The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd For other uses see Think (disambiguation "Think" is the name of a hit single released by American R&B Matt Murphy. That same year, Clive Davis signed Aretha to his Arista Records. Clive Jay Davis (born April 4 1932 in Brooklyn New York is an American Record producer and a leading music industry executive. Arista Records (ˈɛərɪstə is an American Record label. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operates under the The singles "United Together" and "Love All The Hurt Away" - a duet with George Benson - returned her to the Top 10 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart. George Benson (b March 22 1943, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania) is an American musician whose recording career began at the age of twenty-one But it was the spectacular 1982 album, Jump To It, produced by longtime admirer Luther Vandross, and the title-track 45 that gave Aretha her first R&B chart-topping and pop success since "(Giving Him) Something He Can Feel". Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Jump to It is an Aretha Franklin album Track listing "Jump To It" ( Luther Vandross, Marcus Miller) Luther Ronzoni Vandross ( April 20 1951 – July 1 2005) was an American R&B and soul Singer-songwriter The Jump To It album enjoyed a long run at #1 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart (even the Zoomin' album only reached #3). It won an American Music Award, was nominated for a Grammy and was certified Gold in early 1983 - Aretha's first Gold disc since the 1976 Sparkle album.

The following year Franklin and Vandross collaborated again on the disappointing Get It Right. But in 1985, Franklin's sound was commercialized into a glossy pop sound as she experienced her first-ever Platinum-certified album, Who's Zoomin' Who?. For the Grey's Anatomy episode see " Who's Zoomin' Who? " Who's Zoomin' Who? is a 1985 Album Yielding smash hits like the Motown-influenced "Freeway of Love" (#3 Pop/#1 R&B), the title track (#7 Pop/#2 R&B), and her duet with rock duo Eurythmics, "Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves" (#18 Pop/#66 R&B), the album became the first Platinum certification of Aretha's entire career, reintroducing her sound to a younger generation of fans. "Motown" redirects here For the city see Detroit Michigan. " Freeway of Love " is a Grammy Award -winning song released as the first single from Aretha Franklin 's 1985 Album Eurythmics (often incorrectly referred to as The Eurythmics) is a British Musical duo, formed in 1980 by Annie Lennox and Dave " Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves " is a hit Duet recorded between British pop duo Eurythmics (from their Be Yourself Tonight In 1986, Franklin did nearly as well with an album simply titled Aretha which yielded her first number-one pop single in two decades with the George Michael duet, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)". Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (Γεώργιος Κυριάκος Παναγιώτου (born 25 June 1963 best known as George Michael, is a two-time Grammy Award winning The album is noteworthy for the striking cover which was Andy Warhol's last work before his death. Other hits included her cover of The Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and the girl group-inspired "Jimmy Lee". " Jumpin' Jack Flash " is a song by English Rock and roll band The Rolling Stones, released as a single in 1968 A girl group is a Popular music act featuring several young Female Singers who generally harmonize together When Aretha was taken out of print, it had sold over nine million copies worldwide.

Aretha returned to gospel in 1987 with her album One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism which was recorded live at her New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit. However, the disc was a far cry from her 1972 effort Amazing Grace and had middling sales. Subsequent follow-ups such as 1989's Through The Storm and 1991's What You See Is What You Sweat sold poorly and failed to produce any major mainstream hits - other than the former album's Elton John-featured title track - but her career got a slight boost in 1993 when she scored a dance-club hit with "Deeper Love" off the Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit soundtrack. In 1994, she scored another hit with the Babyface-produced ballad, "Willing To Forgive" which hit the Top 5 of Billboard's R&B chart and #26 on the Hot 100.

Franklin returned to prominence with her 1998 album, A Rose Is Still A Rose. A Rose Is Still a Rose is a 1998 album released by Soul singer Aretha Franklin. The album's mixture of urban contemporary, hip-hop soul and soul was a departure from Franklin's previous material. Contemporary R&B (also known as R&B, urban) is a Music genre of western Popular music (predominantly American and Canadian Hip hop soul is the second major subgenre of Contemporary R&B. Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States. The title track, produced by Lauryn Hill, gave her a smash hit on the R&B and Pop charts and earned a gold single while the album was certified gold also, the first time since 1986's Aretha that any of the singer's albums went gold. Lauryn Noel Hill is a Grammy Award -winning American Singer, Rapper, Musician, Songwriter, producer, and That same year, with less than twenty-four hours to prepare, Franklin stepped in for Luciano Pavarotti to sing "Nessun Dorma" at the 1998 Grammy Awards. WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes. Thank you--> Luciano Pavarotti, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( October 12, Nessun dorma (English edition None shall sleep tonight) is an Aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini 's Opera (Pavarotti, who was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award that night, was too sick to attend. ) She gave a soulful and highly improvised performance in the aria's original key, while firmly stamping out the year with a captivating performance during VH-1's "Divas Live" telecast. VH1 (known as VH-1 Video Hits One from 1985 to 1994 and VH1 Music First until 2003) is an American Cable television

Recent years

Following the success of A Rose Is Still A Rose, Franklin has continued recording if only sporadically. A Rose Is Still a Rose is a 1998 album released by Soul singer Aretha Franklin. Her most recent release was 2003's So Damn Happy, which included the Grammy-winning track "Wonderful". So Damn Happy is the 2003 album by Aretha Franklin on Arista. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Shortly after its release, Franklin left Arista Records after twenty-three years with the company. She has since started her own label, Aretha Records, and plans to issue her long-promised new album, A Woman Falling Out Of Love in 2008. She is also coaching young actors during auditions for a musical based on her autobiography, From These Roots.

In 1998, Franklin also took again her role of Mrs. Murphy in Blues Brothers 2000, this time singing her old hit "Respect". Blues Brothers 2000 is a 1998 musical / Comedy Film and Sequel to the 1980 film The Blues Brothers " Respect " is a song written and originally released by Stax recording artist Otis Redding in 1965 Like in the 1980 movie, she plays the possessive wife of the lead guitarist of the Blues Brothers Band, singing the song during a row with her husband about his joining his former band.

In 2007, Arista Records released a duets compilation album entitled, "Jewels In The Crown: All-Star Duets With The Queen. Arista Records (ˈɛərɪstə is an American Record label. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operates under the Jewels in the Crown is a duets compilation album by American Soul singer Aretha Franklin. " The disc features duets performed with Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross, Richard Marx, John Legend, Annie Lennox, Mary J. Blige, Frank Sinatra, George Michael, Christina Aguilera, George Benson, Fantasia, and Gloria Estefan. Whitney Elizabeth Houston' (born August 9 1963 is an American Singer-songwriter, Actress, Film producer, Arranger and former Luther Ronzoni Vandross ( April 20 1951 – July 1 2005) was an American R&B and soul Singer-songwriter Richard Noel Marx (born September 16, 1963 in Chicago Illinois) is an Adult contemporary and Pop/rock Singer, Songwriter John Stephens (born December 28, 1978) better known by his Stage name John Legend, is a Grammy Award winning American soul Annie Lennox (born 25 December 1954 is a Scottish born British Musician, Vocalist and Academy Award -winning Songwriter Mary Jane Blige (surname pronounced /blaɪʒ/) (born January 11, 1971) is an American Singer-songwriter, Rapper Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12 1915 &ndash May 14 1998 was an American singer and actor Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (Γεώργιος Κυριάκος Παναγιώτου (born 25 June 1963 best known as George Michael, is a two-time Grammy Award winning Christina María Aguilera (born December 18 1980 is an American pop / R&B Singer and Songwriter. George Benson (b March 22 1943, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania) is an American musician whose recording career began at the age of twenty-one Fantasia Monique Barrino (born June 30, 1984) or simply Fantasia, is an American R&B / soul singer and Broadway Gloria Estefan (born Gloria María Fajardo on September 1, 1957) is a Cuban American singer and songwriter A duet with Faith Hill has been recorded but it's not on the album. Audrey Faith McGraw, known professionally as Faith Hill (born September 21 1967 is an American country singer known both for her commercial success The album includes two new recordings with Fantasia, on the lead single "Put You Up On Game" and John Legend. Fantasia Monique Barrino (born June 30, 1984) or simply Fantasia, is an American R&B / soul singer and Broadway "Put You Up On Game" is a Duet recorded between R&B / soul singers Aretha Franklin and Fantasia. John Stephens (born December 28, 1978) better known by his Stage name John Legend, is a Grammy Award winning American soul The lead single "Put You Up On Game" hit radio on October 1, 2007 and became the number one most added song on Urban AC radio the following week. "Put You Up On Game" is a Duet recorded between R&B / soul singers Aretha Franklin and Fantasia. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music similar to an Urban contemporary format The album also includes Aretha's historic rendition of "Nessun Dorma" from the 1998 Grammy telecast.

On February 8, 2008, Franklin was honored as MusiCares "Person of the Year," two days prior to the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, where she was awarded her 20th Grammy. The MusiCares Foundation, Inc was established in 1989 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on February 10 2008 starting at 8PM EST.

Personal life

Twice divorced, Franklin is the mother of four grown sons. Two of her sons, Kecalf and Teddy, are active in the music business. Teddy is the musical director and guitarist of Franklin's touring band. From 1961 to 1969, Aretha was married to her manager and co-writer Ted White. In 1978 she married Cooley High actor Glynn Turman. Glynn Turman (born January 31, 1946 in New York New York) is an Emmy-award winning stage television and film actor as well as a writer director White had been a decade older than Aretha while Turman was four years younger. The marriage lasted until late 1982 when Franklin and her family returned permanently to Detroit. She and Turman officially divorced in early 1984.

She is the godmother of Whitney Houston, who also grew up to be a pop star, rising to fame in the mid-1980s. Whitney Elizabeth Houston' (born August 9 1963 is an American Singer-songwriter, Actress, Film producer, Arranger and former A still image of Franklin was shown in the closing scene of Houston's 1985 video for the single How Will I Know. "How Will I Know" is the third hit single from Whitney Houston 's self-titled first album

Voice

Aretha Franklin is known for her powerful, refined, and very agile voice. She also possesses a voice spanning numerous octaves and vocal ranges, like Regine Velasquez, Sarah Geronimo, Charice, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Celine Dion. Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez (born April 22 1970 is a Filipino Singer, Actress, Record producer, and TV host Sarah Geronimo, born as Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo on July 25 1988 is a famous Filipina singer and actress Charmaine Clarice Relucio Pempengco (born May 10 1992 better known as Charice, is a Filipina Singer who rose to popularity through YouTube Whitney Elizabeth Houston' (born August 9 1963 is an American Singer-songwriter, Actress, Film producer, Arranger and former Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( OC OQ (born March 30 1968 in Charlemagne Quebec) is a Canadian pop Singer Earlier in her career, her voice extended well beyond the Soprano C, approaching E6. C or Do is the first Note of the fixed-Do Solfege. In Western Music, the expression " Middle C " refers to the note Additionally, with extensive use of her profound chest voice, she has reached baritone notes, such as the B below Middle C. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. C or Do is the first Note of the fixed-Do Solfege. In Western Music, the expression " Middle C " refers to the note As a singer most comfortable in the middle of her vocal range, she is perhaps best classified as a coloratura mezzo-soprano due to the agility and bright color of her voice, coupled with her ability to project both high notes typical of a soprano as well as low notes that sopranos are otherwise incapable of approaching. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type.

Awards and achievements

• On January 3, 1987, she became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Ohio, United States
• In May 1987, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Musicology degree from the University of Detroit. Musicology ( Greek: μουσική = "music" and λόγος = "word" or "reason" is the scholarly study of Music University of Detroit Mercy (UDM is a Comprehensive university in Detroit Michigan, United States, created in 1990
• In September, 1999, she was awarded The National Medal of Arts by President Clinton. The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the Congress of the United States in 1984 for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts
• In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked her #9 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published ^[5] To give perspective to this honor, only the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, and Little Richard finished ahead of her on this list. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman, May 24 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter author poet and painter who has been a major Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (born October 18 1926 in St James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix) (November 27 1942 – September 18 1970 was an American Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter James Joseph Brown Jr (May 3 1933 – December 25 2006 commonly referred to as "The Godfather of Soul" the "King of Funk" and "The Rev Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5 1932 better known by the Stage name Little Richard, is an American Singer, Songwriter Ray Charles finished at number ten, right behind Franklin. Ray Charles Robinson ( September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) known by his Stage name Ray Charles, was an American
• In 2005, she was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a decoration bestowed by the President of the United States and is along with the equivalent Congressional Gold Medal bestowed Bush.
• In 2005, she became the second woman (Madonna being the first, a founding member) to be inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame. The UK Music Hall of Fame honours musicians for their lifetime fame in music
• On May 13, 2006, she was presented with an honorary Doctor of Music degree by the Berklee College of Music. An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa ( Latin: 'for the sake of the honour' is an Academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding The Doctor of Music degree ( DMus, MusD or MusDoc) like other Doctorates, is an Academic degree of the highest level A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of Higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing Berklee College of Music, founded in 1945 is an independent music College in Boston Massachusetts.
• On April 1, 2007 Aretha sang "America the Beautiful" at Wrestlemania 23.
• On May 14, 2007, she was presented with an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
• Is an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Delta Sigma Theta ( ΔΣΘ) Sorority is a Non-profit Greek letter organization of college educated women who perform public service placing emphasis on the
• She is the youngest recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor. The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (on the building itself called the John F
• First black woman to appear on the cover of Time magazine. For other uses see Time (disambiguation Time is a component of a measuring system used to sequence events to compare the durations of
• On February 8, 2008, Franklin was honored as MusiCares "Person of the Year". The MusiCares Foundation, Inc was established in 1989 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
• On February 14, 2008, Franklin was given the Vanguard award at the NAACP Image awards.
• On May 4, 2008, Franklin was given the Key to the City of Memphis at the 2008 "Memphis in May International Music Festival" by Mayor Dr. Willie Herenton during her performance onstage

Grammy Awards

Franklin has won twenty Grammy Awards in total during her nearly half-century long career (she first charted in 1961), and holds the record for most Best Female R&B Vocal Performance award with eleven to her name (including eight consecutive awards from 1968 to 1975 - the first eight awarded in that category).

Aretha Franklin's Grammy Award Wins
#	Year	Category	Genre	Title
1	1968	Best Rhythm And Blues Recording	R&B	Respect
2	1968	Best Female R&B Vocal Performance	R&B	Respect
3	1969	Best Female R&B Vocal Performance	R&B	Chain Of Fools
4	1970	Best Female R&B Vocal Performance	R&B	Share Your Love With Me
5	1971	Best Female R&B Vocal Performance	R&B	Don't Play That Song For Me
6	1972	Best Female R&B Vocal Performance	R&B	Bridge Over Troubled Water
7	1973	Best Female R&B Vocal Performance	R&B	Young, Gifted and Black (album)
8	1973	Best Soul Gospel Performance	Gospel	Amazing Grace (album)
9	1974	Best Female R&B Vocal Performance	R&B	Master Of Eyes
10	1975	Best Female R&B Vocal Performance	R&B	Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing
11	1982	Best Female R&B Vocal Performance	R&B	Hold On. The Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording was awarded from 1959 to 1968 The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance has been awarded since 1968 The Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance was awarded from 1969 to 1977 . . I'm Comin' (album track)
12	1986	Best Female R&B Vocal Performance	R&B	Freeway Of Love
13	1988	Best Female R&B Vocal Performance	R&B	Aretha (album)
14	1988	Best R&B Performance - Duo Or Group with Vocals	R&B	I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) (with George Michael)
15	1989	Best Soul Gospel Performance - Female	Gospel	One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism (album)
16	1991	Living Legend Award	Special
17	1994	Lifetime Achievement Award	Special
18	2004	Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance	R&B	Wonderful
19	2006	Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance	R&B	A House Is Not A Home
20	2008	Best Gospel-Soul Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group	Gospel	Never Gonna Break My Faith (with Mary J. Blige)

Discography

Further information: Aretha Franklin discography

Notable albums:

1967 I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You 1967 Aretha Arrives 1968 Lady Soul 1968 Aretha Now 1969 Soul '69 1970 This Girl's In Love With You 1970 Spirit in the Dark 1971 Aretha Live At Fillmore West 1971 Young, Gifted And Black 1972 Amazing Grace 1973 Hey Now Hey (The Other Side Of The Sky) 1974 Let Me In Your Life 1974 With Everything I Feel In Me 1975 You 1976 Sparkle 1977 Sweet Passion 1978 Almighty Fire

1979 La Diva 1980 Aretha 1981 Love All The Hurt Away 1982 Jump To It 1983 Get It Right' 1985 Who's Zoomin' Who? 1986 Aretha 1987 One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism 1989 Through The Storm 1991 What You See Is What You Sweat 1994 Greatest Hits 1980-1994 1998 A Rose Is Still A Rose 2003 So Damn Happy 2007 Jewels In The Crown: All-Star Duets With The Queen

Top 10 US Hot 100 singles:

Year	Title	Peak
1967	"I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)"	9
1967	"Respect"	1
1967	"Baby I Love You"	4
1967	"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"	8
1967	"Chain of Fools"	2
1968	"(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone"	5
1968	"Think"	7
1968	"The House That Jack Built"	6
1968	"I Say a Little Prayer"	10
1971	"Bridge Over Troubled Water" / "Brand New Me"	6
1971	"Spanish Harlem"	2
1971	"Rock Steady"	9
1972	"Day Dreaming"	5
1973	"Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)"	3
1985	"Who's Zoomin Who?"	7
1985	"Freeway of Love"	3
1987	"I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (with George Michael)	1

Filmography

• The Blues Brothers (1980)
• Motown 40: The Music Is Forever (1998) (ABC-TV documentary)
• Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)
• DIVAS LIVE (1998)
• Immaculate Funk (2000) (documentary)
• Rhythm, Love and Soul (2002)
• Tom Dowd & the Language of Music (2003) (documentary)
• Singing in the Shadow: The Children of Rock Royalty (2003) (documentary)
• From The Heart / The Four Tops 50th Anniversary and Celebration (2004)
• Atlantic Records: The House that Ahmet Built (2007) (documentary)

TV Talkshow Music Appearances

• Rolonda Watts (Rolonda Show)
• Oprah Winfrey (Oprah's 40 Birthday, with Patti Labelle & Gladys Knight)

References

External links

• Aretha Franklin birthplace
• Official site
• Aretha Franklin at the Internet Movie Database
• Aretha Franklin at the Memorable Music Hall of Fame at Memorable TV
• Aretha Franklin at Soulmusic.com
• Soul Covers by Michael Awkward featuring research and analysis on Aretha Franklin
• Aretha Franklin at Swingin' Chicks of the '60s
• Aretha Franklin at BBC News
• Aretha Franklin at RollingStone. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published com/artists/
• Works by or about Aretha Franklin in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Details about PBS' 1988 'American Masters' television special about Aretha Franklin at http://www.thirteen.org/pressroom/release.php?get=1938 (show is available on DVD through http://vpt.org/tvscheds/pbsvids.html)

Persondata
NAME	Franklin, Aretha Louise
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	American singer
DATE OF BIRTH	March 25, 1942
PLACE OF BIRTH	Memphis, Tennessee, United States
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH

WorldCat is a Union catalog which itemizes the collections of more than 10000 libraries which participate in the OCLC global cooperative

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