From that first session, Today I Sing the Blues (1960) remains a classic. Franklin and White divorced in 1969, and had one child, Teddy Richards, a successful musician who played guitar in his mother's band. She first became pregnant at the age of 12 and gave birth to her first child, named Clarence after her father,[123] on January 28, 1955. More than any other performer, she epitomized soul at its most gospel-charged". [51][34] Spann ceremonially placed a crown on her head. After her parents separated, Franklin remained with her father in Detroit. "If anybody could rejuvenate Franklin's puzzlingly stuck career, it was Davis. Aretha's father, Reverend C.L. 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. Aretha [] The post 25 years of 'A Rose Is Still a Rose,' Aretha Franklin's last grand statement and Lauryn Hill's first on her own appeared first on TheGrio. Franklin rarely talked about her family and personal life, and for decades, Clarence Franklin's father has been . The show's producers, desperate to fill the time slot, approached Franklin with their dilemma. Aretha had an abusive first marriage to Detroit pimp Ted White ( Image: Michael Ochs. However, she struggled with commercial success while at Columbia. She also was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012. [43], In November 1966, Franklin's Columbia recording contract expired; at that time, she owed the company money because record sales had not met expectations. The problem has been resolved". Cunningham served as her manager for a time and the two lived together, but never married. Franklin only spent one day recording at FAME, as an altercation broke out between her manager and husband Ted White, studio owner Rick Hall, and a horn player, and sessions were abandoned. Another woman performed at several Florida venues under the name Aretha Franklin. She was the mother of four, and her first son was born in 1955 when she was 12. In 2009 she electrified a crowd of more than one million with her performance of My Country Tis of Thee at the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama, and her rendition of Carole Kings (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman during the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony in 2015 was no less breathtaking. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Despite the success of the single "Angel", the album bombed[citation needed] upon its release in 1973. Franklin's mother, Barbara, was a gospel singer and pianist. [200], In 2010 Franklin was ranked first on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time"[7] and ninth on their list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. [177] Civil rights activist and minister Al Sharpton called her a "civil rights and humanitarian icon". [69], In January 1972, she returned to Gospel music in a two-night, live-church recording, with the album Amazing Grace, in which she reinterpreted standards such as Mahalia Jackson's "How I Got Over". I'm going to see her free if there is any justice in our courts, not because I believe in communism, but because she's a Black woman and she wants freedom for Black people. Ritz David. [237] The season, starring Cynthia Erivo as Franklin, was aired in March 2021. Her mother Barbara left early on and had died by the time Franklin reached her tenth birthday. At age 19, Aretha Franklin married Ted White, a man with a highly . Her sister Carolyn died in April 1988 from breast cancer and her eldest sister Erma died from throat cancer in September 2002. [169] Franklin died at her home on August 16, 2018, aged 76. The marriage between Mrs. Franklin and White ended up in a nasty divorce after a domestic violence dispute they decided . Franklin felt the label was not yet established enough, and he turned Gordy down. "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. He said he had an opportunity to spend time with his ex Aretha before her death. [136] Her half-sister, Carol Ellan Kelley (ne Jennings; 19402019), is C. L. Franklin's daughter by Mildred Jennings, a 12-year-old member of New Salem Baptist Church in Memphis where C. L. was pastor. Ted White was Aretha Franklin's first husband and the father of her third son ( she'd had two children as a teenager). Aretha Franklin was an American singer, songwriter, and civil rights activist. At Atlantic, Franklin returned to her gospel-blues roots, and the results were sensational. After just a few weeks of dating, the pair. [121], Franklin was also a strong supporter of Native American rights. You make mistakes. By marrying Turman, Franklin became stepmother of Turman's three children. That's why, when she sits down at a piano and sings 'A Natural Woman,' she can move me to tearsthe same way that Ray Charles's version of 'America the Beautiful' will always be in my view the most patriotic piece of music ever performedbecause it captures the fullness of the American experience, the view from the bottom as well as the top, the good and the bad, and the possibility of synthesis, reconciliation, transcendence. Because she and Ted White had basically run off to marry, Aretha felt that she had missed out on a storybook wedding. While Franklin was still a teen when she met White, she was also a mother of two, having given birth to her first son Clarence when she was 12 and Edward when she was 14. The album yielded Franklin's final top-40 hit of the decade, "Something He Can Feel", which also peaked at number one on the R&B chart. She was delivered at her family's home located at 406 Lucy Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee. A handsome, dashing, and successful actor marries a beautiful, glamorous, and successful singer, Erma told Ritz. Jasper Williams Jr. of Salem Baptist Church in Atlanta, as he had eulogized her father as well as speaking at other family memorials. [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". This relationship was the focus of the second half of the film because he did usher her into stardom, but he was out of her life by 1969. Aretha and actor Glynn Turman married on April 11, 1978, at her father's church. Her album The Gospel Sound of Aretha Franklin (1956) captures the electricity of her performances as a 14-year-old. [40], In April 2021, Aretha Franklin was featured in National Geographic magazine and in the previous month, the society began airing the third season of the television series Genius about her life and career. It got bizarre.". "[104] Describing Franklin's voice on her first album, Songs of Faith, released in 1956 when she was just 14, Jerry Wexler explained that it "was not that of a child but rather of an ecstatic hierophant". Her central influence, Clara Ward of the renowned Ward Singers, was a family friend. Take a look back at Aretha Franklin's life, as she tells it through a . Franklin's sisters, Erma and Carolyn, were professional musicians and spent years performing background vocals on Franklin's recordings. Might be showing my age, but who knew Aretha remarried to actor, Glynn Russell Turman. In addition, she received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1994, a National Medal of Arts in 1999, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. [6] In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked Franklin number one on its list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". Columbia placed her with a variety of producers who marketed her to both adults (If Ever You Should Leave Me, 1963) and teens (Soulville, 1964). [122], Born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Franklin moved to New York City in the 1960s where she lived until relocating to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s. [185][186] At Franklin's request she was eulogized by Rev. Ken was also serious-minded about art and books and he loved all kinds of music. Aretha married twice, first to Theodore 'Ted' White in 1961 aged 19. [25] Ward also served as a role model to the young Aretha. She launched a multi-city tour in mid-2014, starting with a performance on June 14 in New York at Radio City Music Hall. She denied that the ailment had anything to do with pancreatic cancer, as had been reported. Wilkerson passed away due to complications from COVID-19 in 2020. 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. 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. ", "Soul Survivor: The revival and hidden treasure of Aretha Franklin", "That time Aretha Franklin dazzled America on Thanksgiving with national anthem", "Aretha Franklin's classic old records get Royal Philharmonic garnish", "Aretha Franklin gives Detroit something to remember", "Review: Aretha Franklin buoyant at Chicago Theatre", "The Diva Has Returned: Aretha Franklin Reveals Stunning Weight Loss", "Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin dies: A look back at her legacy", "Relive Aretha Franklin at Ravinia for what wound up being her final full concert ever! [153] She admitted in 1994 that her smoking was "messing with my voice",[154] but after quitting smoking she said later, in 2003, that her weight "ballooned". Franklin was married twice. She then returned to the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills to be close to her ailing father and siblings. She attended Northern High School. By 19, Aretha married her manager, Ted White Snr, who allegedly introduced the singer to weed and alcohol. "It's a legacy of heartbreak, joy, complexity, and triumph.. Franklin continued to record acclaimed albums such as I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967), Lady Soul (1968), Spirit in the Dark (1970), Young, Gifted and Black (1972), Amazing Grace (1972), and Sparkle (1976), before experiencing problems with the record company. In 2004, Franklin announced that she was leaving Arista after more than 20 years with the label. But Franklin's inner circle was not so fond of him. Think (1968), which Franklin wrote herself, also had more than one meaning. Omissions? They separated in 1982 partially due to the strain of maintaining a long-distance relationship and officially. [114] According to David Remnick, what "distinguishes her is not merely the breadth of her catalog or the cataract force of her vocal instrument; it's her musical intelligence, her way of singing behind the beat, of spraying a wash of notes over a single word or syllable, of constructing, moment by moment, the emotional power of a three-minute song. [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. [113] Franklin's voice was described as being a "powerful mezzo-soprano voice". [2] Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Aretha Franklin was previously married to Glynn Turman (1978 - 1984) and Ted White (1962 - 1969). As a young teen, Franklin performed with her father on his gospel programs in major cities throughout the country and was recognized as a vocal prodigy. Hit songs such as "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)", "Respect", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", "Chain of Fools", "Think", and "I Say a Little Prayer", propelled Franklin past her musical peers. By the late 1970s disco cramped Franklins style and eroded her popularity. Aretha Louise Franklin (/ri/ -REE-th; March 25, 1942 August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. I dont think Ree was built for long-term romantic commitment. She was called the "Queen of Soul". [206][207] Asteroid 249516 Aretha was named in her honor in 2014. [18] During this time, Aretha learned how to play piano by ear. Franklin's movie about her life, titled Respect starring Jennifer Hudson, hits theaters on August 13, 2021. The "all-star" group performed gospel songs, including renditions from Franklin's 1972 album, Amazing Grace. [223], After Franklin's death, fans added unofficial tributes to two New York City Subway stations: the Franklin Street station in Manhattan, served by the 1 train, and the Franklin Avenue station in Brooklyn, served by the C and S trains. Aretha is the kind of girl, youve got to love her hard, pianist Teddy Harris said. Aretha Franklin, legendary 'Queen of Soul,' dies in 2018 at 76. 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. Aretha Louise Franklin was the daughter of Rev. Our editors handpick the products that we feature. [34] Twelve years later, an unheard performance of "Never Gonna Break My Faith" was released in June 2020 to commemorate Juneteenth with a new video visualizing the American human rights movement. On August 13, 2018, Franklin was reported to be gravely ill with pancreatic cancer, the disease she was first diagnosed with in 2010, in a Detroit hospital. A 1968 Time cover story on Franklin titled "The Sound of Soul" delves into the trauma she experienced, reportedly at the hands of Ted White. Franklin maintained a residence there until her death. Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakhan, Faith Hill, Fantasia, the Clark Sisters, Ronald Isley, Angie Stone, Chaka Khan, Jennifer Holliday, Loretta Devine, Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Shirley Caesar,[183] Shirma Rouse,[184] Stevie Wonder, Eric Holder, Gladys Knight, Cedric the Entertainer, Tyler Perry, Smokey Robinson, Yolanda Adams, and Rev. [97] In doing so, she became the first woman to have 100 songs on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with the success of her cover of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep", which debuted at number 47 on the chart. 2016. With the fresh anthology about Franklin currently streaming on Hulu, heres a primer on the men she once shared her life with. They separated when she was 6-year old. Franklin and White, who was also her manager, married in 1961 when she was just 19 years old; but after seven years of marriage, they separated in 1968. 'Respect' is as precise an artifact as a Ming vase. Aretha was married to Ted White in 1961, when the singer was 19. The end of their marriage was dogged by. In my fifth or sixth month, I dropped out of school. At the time of their marriage, Franklin had four children and Turman had three of his own. Aretha Franklin has died after a long battle with cancer. March 28, 1970) with 3rd ex-boyfriend, Ken Cunningham. A singer himself, he was noted for his brilliant sermons, many of which were recorded by Chess Records. He has written for Billboard, Complex, and i-D, among other outlets. Franklin and Turman, who had no children together, separated in 1982 and divorced in 1984. Advertisement ARETHA'S MARRIAGE Aretha Franklin and actor Glynn Turman both had failed marriages when they started falling in love. In an interview with Oprah Daily, Erivo spoke about channeling Franklins ability to weather adversity in her performance. This self-taught musician was married to Ted White first, at the age of 18 in 1961. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. A woman and her purse are inseparable. He didnt have no pussycat. She apparently wanted to pivot from gospel to pop, and White was connected to the world of the former. [221] She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Case Western Reserve University 2011[222] and Wayne State University in 1990 and an honorary Doctor of Law degree by BethuneCookman University in 1975. R.I.P. 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. [146][147][148][149], Franklin had weight issues for many years. 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. [32], During this time, Franklin would occasionally travel with the Soul Stirrers. While her album sales in the 1990s and 2000s failed to approach the numbers of previous decades, Franklin remained the Queen of Soul. She returned to the charts in 1993 with the dance song "A Deeper Love" and returned to the top 40 with the song "Willing to Forgive" in 1994. [23][24] Ward was romantically involved with Aretha's father from around 1949 to Ward's death in 1973, though Aretha "preferred to view them strictly as friends". 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. Franklin] had a 1961 Continental, you know, with the suicide doors. Not only did she rarely talk about their seven-year marriage, which began when she was 19, but a 1968 magazine story that alluded to trouble in their relationship led to her closing herself to major media interviews all together. After splitting with White, Franklin met Ken Cunningham in 1969. White and Franklin were married just six months after meeting in 1961 when she was only 18. Donald and Aretha eventually split up and by 1961, she and Mr. Theodore Ted White were married. Trouble is brewing around the estate of Aretha Franklin, where police are investigating possible theft of her assets and an ex-husband is angling for money. Notably, all three of Turman's children have pursued his footsteps. [citation needed] After Jerry Wexler left Atlantic for Warner Bros. Records in 1976, Franklin worked on the soundtrack to the film Sparkle with Curtis Mayfield. 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. They were separated in 1982. In 1971, Franklin became the first R&B performer to headline Fillmore West, later that year releasing the live album Aretha Live at Fillmore West. [82] In 1987, she issued her third gospel album, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, which was recorded at her late father's New Bethel church, followed by Through the Storm in 1989. [26][27], Just after her mother's death, Franklin began singing solos at New Bethel, debuting with the hymn "Jesus, Be a Fence Around Me". Without targeting any particular genre, she sang everything from Broadway ballads to youth-oriented rhythm and blues. [171][172] The cause of death was a malignant pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (pNET),[173][174] which is distinct from the most common form of pancreatic cancer. [54][55] Wexler decided that he wanted to take advantage of her gospel background; his philosophy in general was to encourage a "tenacious form of rhythm & blues that became increasingly identified as soul". It ended years later, and many sources affirm that it was due to domestic abuse. [30] In 1956, J.V.B. [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". Barbara Siggers was born in Shelby, Mississippi in 1917 (per The Sun).According to Smooth Radio, she married pastor C.L. Franklin's follow-up albums for Atlantic, including Sweet Passion (1977), Almighty Fire (1978) and La Diva (1979), bombed on the charts,[citation needed] and in 1979 Franklin left the company. At the age of 18, she was signed as a recording artist for Columbia Records. [158], In May 2013, Franklin canceled two performances because of an undisclosed medical treatment. Franklin recorded 112 charted singles on the US Billboard charts, including 73 Hot 100 entries, 17 top-ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries and 20 number-one R&B singles. [93] In 2011, under her own label, Aretha's Records, she issued the album Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love. [224][225], During the American Music Awards on October 9, 2018, the show was closed by bringing Gladys Knight, Donnie McClurkin, Ledisi, Cece Winans, and Mary Mary together to pay tribute to Aretha Franklin. She married her first husband, Ted White (pictured together in 1968) in 1961 when she was 19. As a child, Franklin was noticed for her gospel singing at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father C. L. Franklin was a minister. [202] That same year, she was ranked 19th among the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time top artists.[203][204]. All Rights Reserved. Grant Rindner is a culture and music journalist in New York. A small boy was so touched by her performance that he came onto the stage and embraced her while Franklin was still singing. On November 18, 2008, she performed "Respect" and "Chain of Fools" at Dancing with the Stars. [135] She married actor Glynn Turman, on April 11, 1978, at her father's church. Franklin achieved a gold recordfor the first time in seven yearswith the 1982 album Jump to It. In 1987, she became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke all became friends of C. L. Franklin, as well. "One day in 1961, Aretha called me. Critics recognized her talent, but the public remained lukewarm until 1966, when she switched to Atlantic Records, where producer Jerry Wexler allowed her to sculpt her own musical identity. Was she ever married? 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. His name is a combination of his parents initials (Ken E. Cunningham and Aretha L. Franklin). In 2019 she was awarded a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation "[f]or her indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades". In the early 1970s she triumphed at the Fillmore West in San Francisco before an audience of flower children and on whirlwind tours of Europe and Latin America. According to music producer Quincy Jones, while Franklin was still young, Dinah Washington let him know that "Aretha was the 'next one'". [130] Her youngest son, Kecalf Cunningham, was born in April 1970 and is the child of her road manager Ken Cunningham.[131]. [119][120] Franklin and several other American icons declined to take part in performing at President Donald Trump's 2017 inauguration as a mass act of musical protest. .css-ssumvd{display:block;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.0625rem;font-weight:bold;line-height:1.25;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-ssumvd:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-ssumvd{letter-spacing:0rem;margin-top:0.9375rem;}}Gayle King Interviews Angela Bassett, Gayle Says March Is a Good Month for TV Lovers, Sheryl Lee Ralphs Definition of True Love, What We Know About The Little Mermaid Remake, Oprah Congratulates Kimmel on 20 Years of His Show, Nikole Hannah-Jones on "The 1619 Project", Ta-Nehisi Coates on the Wakanda Forever Podcast, Oprah Is Acting in Tyler Perrys Next Netflix Film. [152] A former chain smoker who struggled with alcoholism, she quit smoking in 1992. In 2014, Franklin was signed under RCA Records, controller of the Arista catalog and a sister label to Columbia via Sony Music Entertainment, and worked with Clive Davis. They had a special relationship.". We may earn commission from the links on this page. Aretha Franklin was married twice in her life, with her second marriage only lasting a couple of years. In 1960 Franklin transitioned from sacred to secular music. [193] The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences awarded her a Grammy Legend Award in 1991, then the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994. Thats the one commitment that will never die.. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. I've been locked up (for disturbing the peace in Detroit) and I know you got to disturb the peace when you can't get no peace. [70] Originally released in June 1972, Amazing Grace sold more than twomillion copies,[71] and is one of best-selling gospel albums of all time. American singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. [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. Records. Ted White [118] When Angela Davis was jailed in 1970, Franklin told Jet: "Angela Davis must go free Black people will be free. In addition to being an actor, Turman worked as a producer, writer, and director throughout his career. [29] He also helped her sign her first recording deal with J.V.B. Franklin's final top 40 single was 1998's "A Rose Is Still a Rose". Whatever happened behind those closed doors, it wasnt long after that alleged incident that Franklin and White divorced. Between 1955 and 1970, Franklin had sons Clarence, Edward, Teddy, and Kecalf, all of whom ultimately followed their mother into . Children. In the same vein, his second wife, Aretha welcomed a second child, Glynn Turman Jr. in 1965. When Aretha was two, the family relocated to Buffalo, New York. They married six months after meeting While Franklin was still a teen when she met White, she was also a mother of two, having given birth to her first son Clarence when she was 12 and Edward. Before meeting Aretha Franklin THE Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, who was one of the most successful American singers of all time, died in August 2018 aged 76 from pancreatic cancer. She channeled a world of pain into a sound all her own, but till the end,. However, their marriage ended painfully, and she never remarried. Aretha was as remote as she could be," Otis said. 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. At 19, Franklin married Ted White, and had a son with him, named Ted "Teddy" White, . In 2008, Franklin issued the holiday album This Christmas, Aretha on DMI Records. [53], Producer Jerry Wexler convinced her to move to Atlantic Records. March 17, 2021. Ted was into something else. Her father was something of a celebrity in Detroit . Theodore Richard White (March 25, 1931 - October 26, 2020) was an American businessman, songwriter, music manager and producer from Detroit, Michigan. [37] Other influences in her youth included Marvin Gaye (who was a boyfriend of her sister), as well as Ray Charles and Sam Cooke, "two of Franklin's greatest influences". [205] Inducted to the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012, Franklin was described as "the voice of the civil rights movement, the voice of black America". He shares a daughter Stephanie Turman with her first wife, Ula M. Walker. [157] On May 19, 2011, Franklin had her comeback show at the Chicago Theatre. [144] Franklin had to cancel plans to perform at Whitney Houston's memorial service on February 18, 2012, due to a leg spasm. But, as her Detroit friends on the Motown label enjoyed hit after hit, Franklin struggled to achieve crossover success. After a difficult marriage that involved domestic violence, they separated in 1968. They did have a son, Kecalf, in March 1970. 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 [152] Discussing the surgery in 2011, she quoted her doctor as saying that it would "add 15 to 20 years" to her life. Franklins mother, Barbara, was a gospel singer and pianist. [35], Franklin and her father traveled to California, where she met singer Sam Cooke. Bio: Aretha's First Husband / Manager Saycon Sengbloh Born: October 23, 1977 Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, USA Erma Franklin Born: March 13, 1938 Birthplace: Shelby, Mississippi, USA Death: September 7, 2002, Detroit, Michigan, USA (lung cancer) Bio: Aretha's Older Sister Hailey Kilgore Born: February 16, 1999 Birthplace: Humble, Texas, USA Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [18][28] When Franklin was 12, her father began managing her; he would take her on the road with him, during his "gospel caravan" tours for her to perform in various churches. Per David Ritz's Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin, they first met in 1954 at a party, and White had a reputation as something of a smooth operator.