Remembering Aretha Franklin
The Queen of Soul lives on through her connections to the motor city.
Franklin got her start singing at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit where her father, C.L. Franklin, served as its pastor. C.L. Franklin was a popular pastor and was dubbed the man with the “Million-Dollar Voice.” He would travel around the United States delivering sermons and would also bring a young Aretha with him who would sing for the churches he visited.
While Franklin’s started her musical career singing gospel, she would transition to singing R&B/Soul when she signed a record deal with Columbia Records in 1960. Franklin would have moderate success with songs like 1961’s “Won’t Be Long” and “Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody” and 1964’s “Runnin’ Out Of Fools,” but it wasn’t until she signed with Atlantic Records in 1967 that she achieved superstardom.
"The first woman inducted into the @rockhall - Aretha Franklin was an artist of passion, sophistication and command, whose recordings remain anthems that defined soul music. Long live the Queen." - @rockhall
— Aretha Franklin (@ArethaFranklin) August 15, 2019
Listen to all her hits on @Spotify now: https://t.co/SDGU2XwfhW pic.twitter.com/HxxTfWRC4s
In 1967 alone, Franklin scored four number-ones on the Billboard R&B Singles chart: “I Never Love a Man (The Way I Love You),” “Baby I Love You,” “Chain of Fools” and “Respect,” which would go on to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. From then on, there was no turning back for the woman dubbed “The Queen of Soul.”
Rest in Peace 🌹 Queen of Soul ARETHA FRANKLIN 🌹 Rock Steady #ARETHAFRANKLIN #QueenofSoul #RIP #Legend pic.twitter.com/7HtcMDr1Xv
— ÖdöRish (@dance_odorish) August 15, 2019
In total, Franklin has sold over 75 million albums worldwide, won 18 GRAMMYs ,including the GRAMMY Legend award in 1991 and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994, was the first woman to inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and has earned countless additional honors and awards in her over six decades in music.
