LIFE AND TIMES OF ARETHA FRANKLIN

 Born, Aretha Louis Franklin on the 25th day of March, 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. Aretha Franklin as she is popularly known was a powerful force that greatly influenced the 60s soul music movement. 

TOP 51 ARETHA FRANKLIN SONGS PLAYLIST [VIDEO]

Born into a musical family, with a pianist and gospel singer mother, Barbara - and a national gospel minister dad, who also doubled as a very powerful singer of his time, Clarence LaVaugh Franklin - who works were also both songs and sermons, were recorded for keeps by Chess Records. 

Aretha's parents got separated when she turned 6 years old, with her staying back and growing up with her father. Quite unfortunately, her mother died when Aretha turned 10 years old. Teenage Aretha saw music as an escape and would go on tours with her father singing on national stages, at his gospel programs in major cities - nationwide. 

Aretha's first hit at fame, was at 14-years old when she released her first album, The Gospel Sound of Aretha Franklin in 1956 - where her performance as a young budding star caught the attention of the world. 

With the blessings of her gospel minister father, Aretha moved to New York City at age 18 and switched from gospel to secular music. She was put under the watchful care of John Hammond Jr. who at the time was Columbia Records chief executive and he, in that capacity, secured for Aretha a record deal, and closely monitored Aretha's early metamorphose into a powerful blues-jazz music icon. 

It was at Columbia Records that Aretha recorded her first album - Today I sing the Blues (1960) - which till date remains an evergreen classic. Aretha switched to Atlantic Records in 1966, after dropping two other epic albums on Columbia Records, titled - If Ever You Should Leave Me, 1963 and Soulville, 1964. 

Her leaving Columbia Records include the fact that she was boxed into a corner and everything from her rehearsals to recording sessions were way too scripted and monitored that Aretha could not explore her full creative potentials, which left her with only one option - to leave Columbia Records. 

Atlantic Records struck a whole different chord into Aretha, as her new found freedom sent her back to her gospel-blues roots - which did all the magic on her 1967 album - the Way I Love You (originally recorded as - I Never Loved a Man) - recorded in Florence, Alabama at Fame Studios - shockingly, this album turned out to be Aretha Franklin's first million-seller. This feat was possible because Aretha, working closely with multi-talented music producer, Jerry Wexler, was given the opportunity to tow her own path musically without excessive external input - she simply was allowed to do her thing and it worked magic. 

Her vocal prowess alongside spontaneous musical arrangements all dictated by her pace and timing - evoked a musical style that mixed both rhythm and blues with soul music and a touch of jazz - to create a new musical style and trend that rocked the American civil rights movement age, thus branding itself as a black urban music influencer - at the time. 

Aretha's 1967, album titled - Respect - which was a well rendered Otis Jackson composition cover, became a cross-topical anthem which broke personal, racial and sexual barriers to crown, Aretha as - the Queen of Soul. 

After years of a successful musical career where she was in the business of releasing hit after hit, Aretha was further crowned as - Lady Soul. In 1972 - Amazing Grace - a live recording project of Aretha's performance with the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church choir, Los Angeles, U.S - till date, is classified as one of the greatest gospel music albums of all time. 

Although the early 80s came with its disco wave which in a way or two dampened Aretha Franklin fame - this didn't last for long, as she did hit a big comeback in 1982 with her collaboration with songwriter/singer/producer, Luther Vandross. This big move migrated Aretha to a new label, Arista Records, which produced a new dance hit - Jump To It (1982) - followed by a big 1985 hit titled - Freeway of Love. 

Aretha Franklin lived a very private life and always snubbed the media. She became the first woman in history to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Maintaining her lifelong position as - Queen of Soul - Aretha Franklin, in 2009, after over forty decades of a very vibrant and successful musical career, held a crowd of more than one million spellbound at the Presidential inauguration of Barack Obama with her powerful performance of - My Country Tis of Thee. Her 1972 recording was gazetted in the documentary - Amazing Grace - which premiered in 2018. Aretha Franklin died on August 16, 2018, in Detroit, Michigan - aged 76.