Aretha Franklin possessed one of the most distinctive and influential voices in the history of popular music. In a 50-year recording career she racked up 20 Top 10 albums, a dozen million-selling singles and earned no fewer than 18 Grammy awards.
16 August 2018
An artist of immense versatility, her powerful voice, trained in the gospel tradition, moved on to embrace jazz, soul and rhythm and blues. The influential Rolling Stone magazine rated her as the greatest singer of all time.
Image copyrightSHUTTERSTOCKImage captionAretha Franklin in 1967, the year she released her album I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Louise Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on 25 March 1942. She was the daughter of CL Franklin, a Baptist minister, and his wife Barbara, an accomplished gospel singer.
By the time she was six, she and her family had moved to Detroit. There the young Franklin learned to play the piano and began singing in her father's church.
Her father's serial infidelities finally saw the break-up of her parents' marriage. Her mother left the family home and moved to Buffalo, New York, where she died from a heart attack aged 34.
Her father became a respected figure among Detroit's black community, and his church a centre for gospel music. The young Franklin came into contact with a number of musicians, including Smokey Robinson and Sam Cooke.
Encouraged by her father she made her first recording, the album Songs of Faith, when she was just 14, by which time she had already given birth to her first son, Clarence
She had a second child, Edward, when she was 16, but was able to maintain her singing career when her grandmother offered to raise the two boys.
By now her talent was reaching a wider audience. Producer Berry Gordy tried to sign the young Franklin to his new Motown record label, but her father turned down the offer.
Sam Cooke tried to persuade her to sign with his label, RCA. But she had already been spotted by one of Columbia's talent scouts, and that was the label on which she first entered the R&B charts in 1960 with Today I Sing the Blues.
While she had two further R&B hits with Columbia, she only managed to scrape into the mainstream US Top 40 once, with Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody.
But Columbia failed to exploit the potential of her gospel voice, and their insistence that she record girl group-style pop, such as The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss), saw Franklin move over to Atlantic Records in 1966.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Her first recording on the new label, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You), proved to be her breakthrough, going to number one in the rhythm and blues charts and reaching number nine in the pop charts.
Her second Atlantic single became her best known song. Originally written and recorded by Otis Redding, her gospel-tinged rendition of Respect went to number one in the US charts and reached number 10 in the UK.
The song, on which she was backed by her sisters Carolyn and Erma, became an anthem for the feminist movement in the United States and won Franklin two Grammy awards.
Image copyrightSHUTTERSTOCKImage captionAretha Franklin in 1967
Franklin also became an icon for the US civil rights movement. Now dubbed, "Lady Soul", she was presented with an award by Martin Luther King and became only the second African-American woman to appear on the cover of Time magazine.
Career lift
She had three more US Top 10 hits in 1967, including the Carole King/Gerry Goffin single (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. King later featured the song on her groundbreaking 1971 album Tapestry.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionAt a recording session in New York in 1969
By this time her seven year-long marriage to her manager, Ted White, who had also co-written many of her songs, was breaking down and Franklin was experiencing difficulties in following up her early run of Atlantic hits.
There were rumours she had begun drinking heavily and, in 1969, she was arrested for disorderly conduct. Meanwhile, her father had hosted a controversial conference for a black separatist group that ended in a violent confrontation with Detroit police. It left one officer dead and several other people wounded.
While she continued to churn out hits, such as Don't Play That Song, Call Me, Bridge Over Troubled Water and Spanish Harlem, she was becoming increasingly disillusioned with Atlantic, who were grooming a new star, Roberta Flack, for stardom.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionFranklin won no fewer than 18 Grammy awards
The 1978 album Diva, an ill-advised attempt to cash in on the craze for disco, was a commercial flop and became her last recording for Atlantic.
A year later her father was shot during a burglary at his Detroit home, an event which left him in a coma until his death in 1984.
Franklin's behaviour was giving cause for concern, and she had to cut down on her touring after developing a phobia of flying.
Yet her appearance in 1980 film The Blues Brothers gave her career the lift it needed, and a recording contract with Arista that saw her return to the charts with the album Jump to It. Its title track became her first US Top 40 hit in six years.
Image copyrightAFPImage captionAretha Franklin with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd on the Blues Brothers set
Health issues
Follow-up album Who's Zoomin' Who?, a mixture of pop, rock and dance, became Franklin's first ever platinum-certified album. Released in 1985, it contained hit singles Freeway of Love, the title track and Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves, a Top 20 duet with the Eurythmics.
Her next album, Aretha, continued to build on her success and included the hits Jimmy Lee and a version of Jumpin' Jack Flash, produced by and featuring Keith Richards, as well as her Grammy-winning duet with George Michael, I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me).
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionAretha Franklin with Whoopi Goldberg, who starred in the 1986 film Jumpin' Jack Flash
But her career again hit a plateau. She made a return to gospel with the album One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, which received much critical praise, and a Grammy award, but failed to trouble the charts.
The follow-up, Through the Storm, also failed to make an impression, despite a duet with Elton John which did get into the singles charts.
In 1987 Franklin became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, while in 1994 she received a Grammy award for lifetime achievement. But her career had stagnated.
She continued to record, without great success, and reprised her role as the owner of a restaurant in the film Blues Brothers 2000, for which she recorded a new version of Respect.
Franklin set up her own label, Aretha Records, in 2003, but failed to release any albums on it. This was despite her announcement in 2006 that new tracks had already been recorded for a project entitled A Woman Falling Out of Love.
In 2009 she sang the American patriotic song My Country, 'Tis of Thee at the inauguration ceremony of newly-elected US president Barack Obama. Her hat, adorned with a huge bow, caused a considerable amount of press comment.
Image copyrightCECILIO RICARDO, US AIR FORCEImage captionPerforming at Barack Obama's inauguration in January 2009
Following an operation in 2011 she struggled with health issues and cancelled a number of concerts. But in 2013 she returned to live performances with a concert in Detroit which launched a major tour.
Franklin's own philosophy probably sums up why, despite the ups and downs of her career, she became such an enduring talent.
"Being a singer is a natural gift. It means I'm using to the highest degree possible the gift that God gave me to use. I'm happy with that."
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionAt the New Orleans Jazz Festival in 1994
Aretha Franklin: The sound of the civil rights movement
6 hours ago
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionAretha Franklin holds a copy of her Soul 69 album in New York City
Aretha Franklin grew up in 1950s Detroit, surrounded from childhood by the now-famous faces of the civil rights movement. Her songs would become their anthems.
Her Baptist minister father was the organiser behind the 1963 Detroit Walk to Freedom - the largest-ever demonstration for civil rights in the US until the March on Washington later that year, when the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr made his "I have a dream" speech.
King was a frequent guest in her father's home.
At 16 years of age, Franklin went on tour with him, just after recording her first album.
She would sing at King's funeral a decade later.
King's daughter, Dr Bernice King, called Franklin a "shining example" of how to use the arts to support social change.
"As a daughter of the movement, she not only used her voice to entertain but to uplift and inspire generations through songs that have become anthems."
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionCivil rights activist Rev Jesse Jackson had been friends with Aretha Franklin for more than 60 years
1967's Respect became the anthem of the civil rights campaign and the feminist movement. Franklin told Elle magazine in 2016 she was "stunned" by its success.
"It was the right song at the right time," she said.
As she rose in popularity, Franklin did not abandon her sense of activism. She told Elle her contract in the 1960s included the clause that she would never perform for a segregated audience.
Civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson - who was Franklin's friend for over 60 years - told USA Today she helped pay for many civil rights tours and campaigns while King was alive.
She held free concerts, housed activists and helped them fundraise. Jackson called her "an inspiration, not just an entertainer".
"She has shared her points of view from the stage for challenged people, to register to vote, to stand up for decency," he said.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionAretha Franklin shared a special relationship with the Obamas
The Queen of Soul remained a prominent face - and voice - for African American civil rights throughout her life.
In 2015, President Barack Obama said: "American history wells up when Aretha sings."
"Nobody embodies more fully the connection between the African-American spiritual, the blues, R&B, rock and roll - the way that hardship and sorrow were transformed into something full of beauty and vitality and hope."r post by @BarackObama
Aretha helped define the American experience. In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade—our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect. May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace.
Most people knew Aretha for her chart-topping hits that cut to the core of the human experience – no matter your background. But I knew Aretha for the civil rights and humanitarian icon that many forget: the Aretha that uplifted her community and the civil rights movement.
.@NAACP presented the Vanguard Award to the iconic @ArethaFranklin back in 2008 for her role in advancing awareness of racial and social issues. Her music will continue to inspire us for generations and our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family.
Aretha Franklin. The Queen of Soul. The Icon. The ultimate singers' singer. The greatest singer and musician of my lifetime. The power of your voice in music and in civil rights blew open the door for me and so many others. You were my inspiration, my mentor and my friend.
Stars from across the musical spectrum, from Adele and Diana Ross to Sir Paul McCartney and Liam Gallagher, have paid homage to soul singer Aretha Franklin following her death at the age of 76.
Ross praised her "wonderful golden spirit", while Sir Paul described the singer as "the Queen of our souls".
Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney wrote on Twitter: "Let's all take a moment to give thanks for the beautiful life of Aretha Franklin, the Queen of our souls, who inspired us all for many, many years.
"She will be missed but the memory of her greatness as a musician and a fine human being will live with us forever."
In a heartfelt Instagram message, Adele wrote: "I can't remember a day of my life without Aretha Franklin's voice and music filling up my heart with so much joy and sadness.
"Absolutely heartbroken she's gone, what a woman. Thank you for everything, the melodies and the movements."
Former US president Barack Obama tweeted: "Aretha helped define the American experience.
"In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade - our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect. May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace."
Aretha helped define the American experience. In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade—our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect. May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace.
President Donald Trump also paid tribute, writing: "The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, is dead. She was a great woman, with a wonderful gift from God, her voice. She will be missed!"
Motown legend Smokey Robinson wrote: "This morning my longest friend in this world went home to be with our Father. I will miss her so much but I know she's at peace. #QueenOfSoul."
Quincy Jones said he "treasured every moment" he spent working with Franklin.
"From working in the recording studio, to performing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, or simply hanging in the kitchen, I will miss her dearly."
I treasured every moment that we spent together from working in the recording studio, to performing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, or simply hangin’ in the kitchen, & I will miss her dearly. RIP Ree-Ree...You will reign as the Queen forever.
Her influence on younger singers was clear from the tributes, with Christina Aguilera describing her as "such a timeless inspiration to me and so many others".
"The ultimate queen, thank you for the gift of your voice, music and unshakeable soul," she wrote.
Britney Spears said "your legacy and music will forever inspire us and future generations", while Destiny's Child star Kelly Rowland wrote that it was "truly a sad day".
Celine Dion added that Franklin was "the most soulful and inspirational singer of our time".
Annie Lennox, who duetted with Franklin on The Eurythmics' 1985 hit Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves, posted a message on Instagram saying Aretha "was simply peerless".
"She has reigned supreme. and will always be held in the highest firmament of stars as the most exceptional vocalist, performer and recording artist the world has ever been privileged to witness," Lennox wrote.
"Superlatives are often used to describe astonishing artists, but in my view even superlatives seem insufficient. Everyone who loved Aretha will be saying little prayers of gratitude, appreciation and respect for the musical life force that enriched our lives. Her voice will soar on forever..."
Sir Mick Jagger told the Press Association: "She was so inspiring and wherever you were she always brought you to church."
Tony Bennett posted a photo of himself on stage with Aretha on his 85th birthday and said she "will be missed by the world".
The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson described her as "one of the greatest and most emotional singers" whose music was "timeless".
Sir Tom Jones said she "lifted our hearts with your incomparable gifts", and Sir Rod Stewart wrote: "Always loved you, always will."
The greatest voice in American popular music has been stilled. Our beloved #ArethaFranklin has gone. For me, she was a musical lighthouse, guiding and inspiring with every note. I loved her so and love her still. Goodbye, Queen of Soul.
Barbra Streisand posted a photo of herself with Aretha taken in 2012 on Instagram and wrote: "It's difficult to conceive of a world without her. Not only was she a uniquely brilliant singer, but her commitment to civil rights made an indelible impact on the world."
Singer Alexander O'Neal told BBC News: "It meant a lot to me coming from the barriers that we had to overcome for race and everything else during that era, a time when she was such a success and became such a rock icon, a real icon. She was such a huge influence on my career."
Former Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie wrote: "RESPECT. Her legendary voice came straight from God. Now her soul is with Him. Thank you Aretha."
Hamilton musical star Lin-Manuel Miranda tweeted: "We will be listening to your music forever".
British pop star Paloma Faith wrote on Instagram: "Dearest Aretha, thank you for giving us all your gift, thank you for being the queen of soul and forever in our memories."
Pop star Zara Larsson revealed she was a childhood fan and hailed Aretha as "an irreplaceable legend".
Aretha Franklin was the only thing I wanted to listen to in the car growing up. I always asked my mom to put her on. Rest In Peace, Queen if soul. An irreplaceable legend!
Aretha Franklin, the "queen of soul" known for hits like Respect and Think, has died in Detroit at the age of 76.
The legendary singer was diagnosed with cancer in 2010 and announced last year she was retiring from music.
Franklin won 18 Grammys, and had 17 Top Ten US chart hits over a music career spanning seven decades.
The star gave her final performance last November at a gala in New York held in aid of the Elton John Aids Foundation.
In a statement, her family said: "In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart.
"We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins knew no bounds."
The family also confirmed her death was due to advanced pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type.
Born in Memphis to a gospel singer/pianist and a celebrated Baptist preacher, Franklin was tutored from an early age by such gospel stars as Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward.
She struggled to find fame in the early years, with record label Columbia unsure how to frame her impressively powerful voice.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionThe late 1960's saw some of Franklin's most soulful and fiery performances
After moving to Atlantic Records in 1966 she broke through, and released some of her most iconic songs like Respect soon after the switch.
By 1968 she was renowned throughout America and Europe as "Lady Soul" - a symbol of black pride who appeared on the cover of Time and was given an award by Martin Luther King.
Who has paid tribute?
Reaction to the death of the soul legend has poured in throughout Thursday - as high-profile figures paid tribute to her musical legacy and commitment to US civil rights.
Sir Elton John said he "adored and worshipped" the star, and wrote: "the loss of Aretha Franklin is a blow for everybody who loves real music."
Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney wrote: "Let's all take a moment to give thanks for the beautiful life of Aretha Franklin, the Queen of our souls, who inspired us all for many many years."
Media captionAretha Franklin singing at Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009
Mariah Carey paid tribute to the Queen of Soul on Twitter, calling her an inspiration, mentor and friend.
In the world of politics, President Trump and his daughter Ivanka tweeted tributes to the soul star.
Former President Barack Obama, whose inauguration she performed at, released an emotive statement with his wife Michelle saying Franklin's music "helped define the American Experience".tter post by @BarackObama
Aretha helped define the American experience. In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade—our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect. May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace.
Civil Rights campaigners Reverend Jesse Jackson and Reverend Al Sharpton shared touching tributes to their friend of decades.
The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) also released a statement celebrating Aretha Franklin's life and contribution to the US civil rights cause.
"No one can discuss the civil rights movement nor music without paying respect to the Queen of Soul," NAACP chairman Leon W. Russell said
Aretha Franklin's greatest hits
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionShe gave her last performance in New York last November
Respect - US number one and double Grammy winner in 1967
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman - a top 10 US hit in 1967
Chain of Fools - reached number two in the US in 1968
Think - another US top 10 hit in '68
I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) - a duet with George Michael, number one in the US and UK in 1987
Franklin performed an eye-catching cameo in cult comedy The Blues Brothers, and then she scored a number of big hits in the 1980s including Who's Zooming Who? and the George Michael duet I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me).
She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W Bush in 2005, when she was saluted for "capturing the hearts of millions of Americans".
Ten years later she reduced President Barack Obama to tears when she sang (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman at a Kennedy Center Honours ceremony, having previously performed at his inauguration.
The BBC's Sima Kotecha interviewed Franklin in Detroit in 2007, and shared memories on Thursday of meeting the international star who "put her at ease straight away"
"She was warm, honest, generous. Her candid responses were refreshing and spoke volumes about her experience as a big star in the global media spotlight."
'Nobody like her'
Analysis from Mark Savage, BBC music reporter
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionAretha Franklin's music moved millions of people and sound-tracked social change over five decades
Nobody could inhabit a song like Aretha Franklin.
You only have to compare Otis Redding's original recording of Respect to Aretha's version to hear it. His is superb. Hers is otherworldly.
Even her most thunderous performances retained their humanity - something her shoutier disciples often overlooked.
The desolate colours she painted onto the verses of Carole King's (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman made the release of the chorus even more joyous.
In later years, she was let down by the material she chose (or which was chosen for her) but her performances still had the poetry and power to move audiences - including, notably, Barack Obama - to tears.
Tributes are pouring in from the worlds of entertainment and politics for Aretha Franklin, the US singer known as the Queen of Soul, who has died at 76.
Franklin performed at inauguration events for three US presidents and was a powerful advocate for the civil rights movement.
"For more than 50 years, she stirred our souls," Bill and Hillary Clinton said in a joint statement.
Barack Obama said her music had "helped define the American Experience".
Remembered for hits like Respect and I Say A Little Prayer, Franklin won 18 Grammys and had 17 Top Ten US chart hits over a musical career spanning seven decades.
She was diagnosed with cancer in 2010, and announced last year she was retiring from music.
The singer died at her home in Detroit surrounded by family and loved ones, her family said in a statement.
Image copyrightEPAImage captionTributes have appeared at the singer's Hollywood Walk of Fame star
What did she mean to Americans?
In 2005, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W Bush, when she was saluted for "capturing the hearts of millions of Americans".
She was "one of America's greatest national treasures", the Clintons said. "She was elegant, graceful, and utterly uncompromising in her artistry."
Mr Obama said in a joint statement with his wife Michelle: "In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade -- our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect.
Media caption
"She helped us feel more connected to each other, more hopeful, more human. And sometimes she helped us just forget about everything else and dance."
The current President, Donald Trump, tweeted that Franklin had been a "great woman, with a wonderful gift from God, her voice".
The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) said Franklin had made sure "black women wouldn't be ignored".
The singer was praised by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) as an "iconic symbol of black pride whose music touched so many hearts and souls".
Civil rights leader Al Sharpton said he was "deeply saddened by the passing of a beloved friend and queen/warrior" while fellow civil rights figure Jesse Jackson remarked, "Earth has lost a lot of music today."
Nasa, the US space agency, noted that the asteroid bearing her name would keep on orbiting.
Her family confirmed her death had been due to advanced pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type.
"In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart," it said.
"We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins knew no bounds."
Franklin gave her final performance last November at a gala in New York held in aid of the Elton John Aids Foundation.
Who was Aretha Franklin?
Born in Memphis to a gospel singer/pianist and a celebrated Baptist preacher, Franklin was tutored from an early age by such gospel stars as Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward.
She struggled to find fame in the early years - the Columbia record label was unsure how to frame her powerful voice.
edia captionAretha Franklin: In her own words
After moving to Atlantic Records in 1966, she made her breakthrough, releasing some of her most iconic songs like Respect.
By 1968 she was renowned throughout America and Europe as "Lady Soul" - a symbol of black pride who appeared on the cover of Time and was given an award by Martin Luther King.
Chain of hits
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionShe gave her last performance in New York last November
Respect - US number one and double Grammy winner in 1967
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman - a top 10 US hit in 1967
Chain of Fools - reached number two in the US in 1968
Think - another US top 10 hit in '68
I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) - a duet with George Michael, number one in the US and UK in 1987
What is the music world saying?
Sir Elton John said he had "adored and worshipped" her: "The loss of Aretha Franklin is a blow for everybody who loves real music."
Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney wrote: "Let's all take a moment to give thanks for the beautiful life of Aretha Franklin, the Queen of our souls, who inspired us all for many many years."
Mariah Carey paid tribute on Twitter, calling Franklin an inspiration, mentor and friend.
The desolate colours she painted onto the verses of Carole King's (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman made the release of the chorus even more joyous.
Even in later years her performances still had the poetry and power to move audiences - including, notably, Barack Obama - to tears.
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CECILIO RICARDO, US AIR FORCE
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