Questions
Why is Aretha Franklin called the Queen of Soul?
The title stuck to her as the defining voice of soul music, and Rolling Stone twice named her the greatest singer of all time.
When and where was Aretha Franklin born?
She was born March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, and grew up in Detroit, Michigan, from age five onward.
How did she learn to play piano?
She taught herself, learning piano by ear as a young child, and remained a skilled pianist throughout her career.
How did she get her start singing?
The daughter of prominent Baptist minister C. L. Franklin, she began singing solos at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, debuting with Jesus, Be a Fence Around Me after her mother’s death in 1952.
What was her big breakthrough?
After signing to Atlantic Records in 1966, she recorded I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You), the song that catapulted her to fame.
Did she really make Respect her own?
Yes. Her 1967 version became her signature song, and Otis Redding, who wrote it, reportedly said, That little girl done took my song away from me.
What happened at her very first Atlantic recording session?
She recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals in January 1967 but spent only one day there, reportedly after an altercation broke out involving her manager, the studio owner, and a horn player.
How many Grammy Awards did she win?
She won 18 Grammy Awards from 44 nominations, including the first eight Best Female R&B Vocal Performance awards from 1968 to 1975.
Was she in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Yes. She was inducted in 1987 as the first female artist ever inducted.
How many records did she sell?
She sold more than 75 million records worldwide and landed 112 Billboard chart singles, including 73 Hot 100 entries and 20 number-one R&B singles.
Is it true she filled in for Pavarotti at the Grammys?
Yes. At the 1998 Grammys, an ill Luciano Pavarotti could not perform, so Franklin sang the aria Nessun Dorma in his place, a performance reportedly seen by more than one billion people worldwide.
What is the story behind her Amazing Grace album?
She recorded the live gospel album in January 1972, and it sold more than two million copies to become one of the best-selling gospel albums ever. A concert film of the sessions was finally released in November 2018.
Did she perform at Barack Obama’s inauguration?
Yes. She sang My Country, Tis of Thee at Obama’s 2009 inauguration, and she had also sung at Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral in 1968.
What was the fur coat moment at the Kennedy Center Honors?
During her 2015 performance of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, she dramatically dropped her fur coat mid-song, a moment fans still talk about.
When did Aretha Franklin pass away?
She died August 16, 2018, at age 76 at her Detroit home from a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. In 2019 she received a posthumous special Pulitzer Prize citation for her contribution to American music and culture.
