Aretha Franklin, known as "the Queen of Soul", died this morning at her apartment in the Riverfront Towers in Detroit, after suffering from pancreatic cancer. She was 76.
Aretha Louise Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee to Clarence "C.L." and Barbara Franklin. The family moved to Buffalo, New York and then to Detroit Michigan, where C.L. became the pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church. At age 10, Aretha starting singing solos in church, and eventually joined her father on his "gospel caravan" tours. She later toured with the Soul Stirrers and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She released her first album Songs Of Faith in 1956, and her first secular album Aretha: With The Ray Bryant Combo in 1961. Her early music was mainly standards, jazz, doo-wop and R&B. In 1967, she changed record labels and recorded some songs with the famous Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. She eventually produced a string of hits including Respect, A Natural Woman, Think, Chain Of Fools, Freeway Of Love, and numerous others. Her two sisters Erma and Carolyn were also professional singers. While known mainly as a singer, she also played piano, which she learned by ear during her childhood. The most charted female artist in history, Franklin won 18 Grammy Awards and became the first female performer to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Franklin was married twice, first to Ted White from 1961 to 1969, and later to Glynn Turman from 1978 to 1984. She had four sons, including Ted White Jr., who often played guitar for her backing band in concert. She spent the last few days of her life at home, surrounded by family and friends.
Read more at CNN, People, Billboard, Variety and The Detroit News.
In 1967, Franklin took the Otis Redding song Respect, and made it into a feminist anthem.
Also in 1967, Franklin sang (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, written by Carole King, Gerry Goffin and Jerry Wexler. The backing vocalists include Emma and Carolyn Franklin.
In 1968, Franklin recorded Think, which she revived for the movie Blues Brothers. In a scene set in a diner, Franklin gives Matt "Guitar" Murphy a piece of her mind, while Joliet Jake Blues (John Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd) enjoy the music, and a cook turns into a sax player.
In 1985, Franklin released the album Who's Zoomin' Who?, featuring the song Freeway Of Love.
In 1986, Franklin covered Jumpin' Jack Flash by the Rolling Stones, for a movie named after the song, starring Whoopi Goldberg. This version features Keith Richards and Ron Wood on guitars and Randy Jackson of American Idol fame on bass. At one time, YouTube included a video version in which Goldberg wandered into Franklin's rehearsal space and joined in the music, but I can't seem to find it, so here's one which includes the audio.
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