aretha Louise Franklin Aretha Franklin
is a giant of soul music and an American
national treasure who continues to be
revered around the globe one of the
best-selling musical artists of all time
having sold more than 75 million records
worldwide the undisputed Queen of Soul
she created an amazing legacy of more
than six decades she has sung before
heads of state and foreign royals and
gain admiration from fans colleagues and
fellow artists across all genres she is
both the 20th and 21st century musical
and cultural icon who is known all over
the world simply by her first name
Aretha her vocal mastery and artistic
excellence have been recognized numerous
times over the course of her
distinguished career Aretha is the
recipient of the USA's highest civilian
honor the Presidential Medal of Freedom
as well as an 18 time Grammy Award
winner the recipient of the Grammy
Lifetime Achievement and a Grammy Living
Legend honor she was the youngest
individual ever to receive the coveted
Kennedy Center Honor the first female
inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame the second female inductee into
into the UK Music Hall of Fame and an
inductee into the gospel Music Hall of
Fame Aretha was the first woman and
fourth artist in history to achieve 100
R&B billboard charted singles with her
version of rolling in the deep'
Aretha has been proclaimed
internationally as the voice of the
civil rights movement the voice of black
America and a symbol of black equality
in 1968 her spiritually uplifting voice
was heard around the world singing at
the funeral of civil rights icon
dr. Martin Luther King jr. and in 1972
at the funeral of Queen of gospel
Mahalia Jackson arethe is acclaimed
voice was declared a natural resource of
the state in 1985 by the department of
natural resources of the state of
michigan
Aretha would later reach a milestone in
her historic career by singing at the
first inauguration of President Barack
Obama
Aretha powerful distinctive gospel home
vocal style has influenced countless
singers across multiple generations and
musical genres justifiably earning her
the number one position on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the greatest singers
of all time
Aretha Louise Franklin was born on March
25th 1942 in Memphis Tennessee the
fourth of five children born to Reverend
Clarence LaVon CL Franklin and Barbara
Bernice singers and was raised in
Detroit arethe his father served as
pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in
Detroit Michigan from 1946 to 1979 a
nationally recognized American Baptist
minister and civil rights activists who
marched with dr. Martin Luther King jr.
most notably in the 1963 Detroit Walk of
freedom Reverend Franklin was known as
the man with a million-dollar voice and
was one of the first Baptist ministers
to record and distribute his sermons
Aretha 's mother Barbara Bernice singers
was a gifted pianist and according to
the her close friend Mahalia Jackson one
of the finest gospel singers in the
country
talent ran strong within the family
aretha sisters Erma my mami and Carolyn
later became professional musicians as
well and spent years performing
background vocals on her recordings
along with her cousin
Brenda Corbett her brother Cecil became
her manager and maintained that position
until his death in 1989 her brother
Vaughn a retired Air Force and Vietnam
veteran became her stage manager in 1990
until his death in 2002 Rita's musical
gifts were apparent at an early age
largely self-taught she became a gifted
pianist with a powerful voice and was
widely regarded as a child prodigy
Aretha got her start as a performer
singing in front of her father's
congregation by the age of 14 she had
recorded some of her earliest tracks at
her father's church which were released
by a small label as the album songs of
faith in 1956 she also performed with
her father's traveling revival and while
on tour refriended such gospel greats as
Mahalia Jackson Sam Cooke and Clara
Award in 1960 with her father's blessing
Aretha traveled to New York after being
courted by several labels there
including Motown and RCA she signed with
Columbia Records which released the
album Aretha in 1961 in 1966
Aretha signed with Atlantic Records in
1967 the album I never dull the man the
way I love you was released of this
period Richie Unterberger of the All
Music Guide wrote in the late sixties
Franklin had become one of the biggest
international recording stars in all of
pop in 1968 dr. Martin Luther King jr.
himself presented her with a special
reward for inspiring so many Americans
with her music
Franklin's FS continued throughout the
70s and as she branched out to work with
notable produce
such as Curtis Mayfield and Quincy Jones
her string of top charting hits during
the decade included call me don't play
that song for me Spanish Harlem bridge
over troubled waters angel and
daydreaming just to name a few in 1985
Aretha returned to the top of the charts
with the Platinum certified album who
zoomin who in 1987 Aretha became the
first female artist to be inducted into
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Aretha continued to amass Grammy
milestones in 1991
every third receive the Recording
Academy's Grammy Legend Award in 1993
Aretha was invited to sing at the
inauguration of Bill Clinton and the
following year she received both a
Grammy and a Lifetime Achievement Award
in 2003 she released her final studio
album on Arista so damn happy in 2008
she received her eighteenth Grammy Award
for never gonna break my faith in 2009
she performed my country tis of thee at
the historic inauguration of President
Barack Obama over the course of her
career
Franklin was I mean had supported a
large number of charities and advocacy
organizations including the
n-double-a-cp
Special Olympics feeding America the
rainforest Foundation and the Barbara
Davis Center for childhood diabetes
are--this artistry has also earned her a
number of academic and distinctions
among them our honorary degrees from
both Harvard University and New York
University Aretha transitioned this life
on Thursday August 16th 2018 in Detroit
Michigan surrounded by her friends and
family those who are commending her
loving spirit into the assurance of her
eternal rest are her loved ones who
preceded her her parents Clarence LaVon
Franklin and Barbara Bernice
her sisters Carolyn Franklin and Irma
Franklin her brothers Cecil Franklin and
Vaughn Franklin and her nephew
Thomas Garrett jr. she leaves to cherish
her precious memories her children
Clarence and Edward Frankland Tanja
Theodora are white the third and Kel
Franklin grandchildren Stefan Fred
Jordan Franklin victory Franklin grace
Franklin great-grandchildren
Lanaya Brigham and kaznia Brigham one
sister Karl and Kelly two sisters-in-law
earlene Franklin and Scindia Franklin
our first cousin rear is a sister Brenda
Corbett James Corbett four nieces
Sabrina Owens Oliver Owens crystal
Franklin Bridget Franklin and Marlene
Brown five nephews Valen see Franklin Jr
Christine Franklin Timothy Franklin
Carolyn Franklin Anthony Franklin
Pamela Franklin Terrell Franklin and
Charles Smith Tina Smith one uncle simio
singers June singers and a host of great
nieces great nephews and cousins
including Lauryn Garrett brochet Garrett
Asia Garrett Brooklyn Hardiman Vaughn
Franklin the third kaliesha Mosley
Dominique Hardy Trina vo Joshua Franklin
Anthony gates
Andreea gates amber Hammond Franklin
Anthony Franklin
Santana Franklin Cameron green Christina
Davis Jeremy Abernathy Felton lo Jeff lo
Romney Darrell
Doris Loeb Billy Wilson Dion Dendy and
Lattanzi waters thank you
[Applause]