- Born
- 25 March 1942, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
- First work
- 1956: Songs of Faith
- Peak
- 1967 to 1974 (estimated)
- Last work
- 2014: Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics
- Died
- 16 August 2018, Detroit, United States; aged 76; illness
Aretha Franklin
Music: singer, pianist, songwriter, United States
Aretha Franklin was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter widely celebrated as the Queen of Soul. Raised singing in her father's Detroit church, she honed a vocal power and emotional depth that redefined popular music. After early jazz-leaning releases for Columbia, her move to Atlantic Records in 1967 unleashed a legendary sequence of landmark recordings blending gospel, soul, and rhythm and blues. Her authoritative phrasing and expressive piano work made her an enduring voice of civil rights and female empowerment. Later embracing contemporary pop and dance styles, she remained a towering cultural figure for six decades. She passed away from illness in Detroit in 2018.
Who else was born on 25 March or who died on 16 August.
Compare with James Brown Compare with someone else
Signature works
- I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You album1967
- Respect song1967
- (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman song1967
- Lady Soul album1968
- Young, Gifted and Black album1972
- Amazing Grace album1972
- Who's Zoomin' Who? album1985
Honours
- 18 competitive Grammy Awards
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 1994
- First woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1987
Groups: Atlantic Records, Columbia Records, Arista Records.