The Queen of Soul who turned every song into a declaration that a human being deserves respect.
Aretha Louise Franklin was born on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Detroit. The daughter of a prominent Baptist preacher, she sang in church before she could read. After struggling to find her footing at Columbia Records, she signed with Atlantic in 1966 and within a year recorded 'Respect'—a song that became an anthem for both the civil rights and women's liberation movements simultaneously. She won 18 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award at 41, making her the youngest recipient at the time. She performed at three presidential inaugurations. In 2009 her hat became as famous as her voice. The first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, she remained a living standard for vocal excellence until her death from pancreatic cancer on August 16, 2018.
“Being a singer is a natural gift. It means I'm using to the highest degree possible the gift that God gave me to use.”
“I never let anyone turn me into a victim. I refuse to be one.”
Defined the sound of American soul music, gave a generation its demand for respect, and set a vocal standard that every singer since has been measured against.
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