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Aretha
Franklin
"The Queen of Soul"
Inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
Quotable Quotes
"I don't think there's anybody I have known who possesses an instrument
like hers and who has such a thorough background in gospel, the blues and
the essential black-music idiom. . . . She is blessed with an extraordinary
combination of remarkable urban sophistication and of the deep blues feeling
that comes from the Delta. The result is maybe the greatest singer of all
time." — Ahmet Ertegun,
Atlantic Records Co-Founder
Michigan
Connection
Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee on March 25, 1942. Shortly after her
family moved to Detroit, at the age of two, her father became the pastor of
New Bethel Baptist Church. Franklin still resides in Detroit and, since
1984, has recorded all of her albums there.
Notable
Franklin signed her first album at age 14 called The Gospel Sound of
Aretha Franklin. Franklin was the first woman to be inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Franklin sang at the inaugurations of Presidents
Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Franklin won fifteen Grammy awards, more than
any other female artist, including Grammy awards every year between 1969 and
1975. Franklin made cameo appearances in the movie Blues Brothers and Blues
Brothers 2000. Franklin was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the
Grammy awards in 1995. Time magazine named her "one of the most
influential people of the last century." In 1998 she released the
critically acclaimed, A Rose Is Still A Rose. The album featured production
work by the Fugees' Lauryn Hill and Sean "Puffy" Combs.
Big Hits
Franklin co-wrote the words and music to her 1968 top ten hit
"Think," and sang it during her appearance in Blues Brothers.
Franklin had twenty #1 R & B hits.
Find out more
about Aretha Franklin and other musical Michiganians in
Makin'
Music: Michigan's
Rock & Roll Legacy.
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