Children: with Ken Cunningham: Kecalf; with Ted White: Theodore; father’s name not available publicly: Edward and Clarence
Other Facts
Had a four-octave vocal range.
Was a self-taught pianist, who learned without knowing how to read music.
Was extremely private, rarely discussing her personal life or her father’s death.
Her father was shot by burglars in 1979 and remained in a coma until his death in 1984. Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke at his funeral.
Claimed reports of her mother abandoning the family in 1948 were not true. The Franklins separated and the children lived with Rev. Franklin, spending summers with their mother until Mrs. Franklin died in 1952.
Due to an in-flight turbulence incident in 1982, she had an extreme fear of flying.
Had 44 Grammy nominations and 18 wins. Franklin also won three special Grammy awards.
A high school dropout, she had two honorary doctorates of music, from Berklee College of Music and Yale University.
In addition to receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame and the Apollo Theater Legends Walk of Fame.
1956 - A gospel album entitled “Spirituals” is released by a small label called J.V.B. It is Franklin’s first recording. The album is later re-released as “Songs of Faith: The Gospel Sound of Aretha Franklin.”
1968 - Wins her first two Grammy awards. “Respect” wins the prize for best rhythm & blues recording and best rhythm & blues solo vocal performance, female.
April 9, 1968 - Sings “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” at the memorial service of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
1982 - Wins Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female for “Hold On I’m Comin’.”
1986 - Wins Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female for “Freeway Of Love.”
1987 - Is the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1988 - Wins two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female for “Aretha” and Best R&B Performance by a Duo, with George Michael, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me).”
1989 - Wins Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female for “One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism.”
1991 - Receives the Grammy Legend Award.
January 19, 1993 - Performs at the inaugural gala of President Clinton.
1994 - Receives the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
1997 - Performs an aria from Puccini’s “La Boheme” at the wedding of Vice President Al Gore’s daughter, Karenna.
February 6, 1998 - Reprises her roll of Mrs. Murphy from “The Blues Brothers” in the sequel, “The Blues Brothers 2000.”
February 25, 1998 - Substitutes for an ailing Luciano Pavarotti at the Grammy Awards performing “Nessun Dorma” by Puccini, unrehearsed.
September 1999 - Her autobiography “Aretha: From These Roots,” is published, where she discusses her private and personal life for the first time.
September 29, 1999 - Is presented the National Medal of Arts by the National Endowment for the Arts.
2004 - Wins Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for “Wonderful.”
2006 - After Franklin points out that no Motown talent was appearing in the Detroit Super Bowl halftime show, the NFL asks her to sing the national anthem along with Aaron Neville prior to the game.
February 8, 2006 - Wins Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for “A House Is Not a Home.”
February 8, 2008 - Is Grammy’s 2008 MusiCares Person of the Year.
February 10, 2008 - Wins Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance for “Never Gonna Break My Faith,” shared with Mary J. Blige.
February 14, 2008 - Receives the NAACP Vanguard Award at the annual Image Awards ceremony.
January 20, 2009 - Performs “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” at the inauguration of President Obama.
February 2010 - A Snickers commercial starring Franklin and Liza Minnelli airs for the first time.
July 27, 2010 - Appears on stage with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on piano in Philadelphia, to raise money for charity. Rice is a classical pianist. They perform individually and together, classical, pop and patriotic selections.
August 1, 2010 - Falls in her home, breaking some ribs. The incident forces her to cancel concert appearances for August.
May 3, 2011 - Releases her new album, “Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love.”
October 8, 2014 - Achieves a milestone in music history by becoming the first female to earn her 100th hit on Billboard’s Hot R&B song chart with “Rolling in the Deep (The Aretha Version).”
October 2014 - Releases a new album, “Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics.”
March 2015 - Performs live on the Motown themed episode of American Idol in Detroit.
February 7, 2017 - Franklin announces she will retire from performing in concert after the release of one more album. “I am retiring this year,” she tells a local television station in Detroit. “I will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert.”
August 16, 2018 - Dies at her home in Detroit, surrounded by family and friends, according to a statement on behalf of Franklin’s family from her longtime publicist Gwendolyn Quinn.
May 20, 2019 - An attorney for Franklin’s estate says that three handwritten wills were discovered in her home. The latest one, dated March 2014, was found under cushions in the living room and appears to leave her assets to family members.
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Aretha Franklin performs at the opening of the new Performing Arts Center at Montgomery College in Silver Spring, Maryland, on September 11, 2009.
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Tracy A. Woodward/The Washington Post/Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
After a childhood of singing gospel music in Detroit, where her father was a minister, Franklin scored her first recording deal at age 18. In 1967 she signed with Atlantic Records, where she would record a string of hits.
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Everett Collection
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin performs on stage in 1968.
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Everett Collection
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin photographed with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the late 1960's. In 1968 she was asked to perform at King's funeral, where she sang a stirring rendition of "Precious Lord, Take Thy Hand."
PHOTO:
Everett Collection
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Aretha Franklin performs at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 26, 1968.
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Don Hogan Charles/The New York Times/Redux
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Aretha Franklin sits for a portrait with her father, Baptist preacher 'CL' (born Clarence LaVaughn), and her sister, fellow singer, Carolyn, in New York in 1971.
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Anthony Barboza/Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Crowds gather for a performance by Franklin at the Apollo Theater in New York City on June 3, 1971.
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Tyrone Dukes/The New York Times/Redux
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin, far left, performs at Jimmy Carter's Presidential Inaugural Gala on January 20, 1977, in Washington, D.C.
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Ron Galella/WireImage via Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin and Glynn Turman walk down the aisle at their wedding on April 11, 1978.
Editor's note: A previous version of this caption identified Franklin's husband as Glynn Russell. His full name is Glynn Russell Turman.
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Afro Newspaper/Gado/Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin on stage in 1980.
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Afro Newspaper/Gado/Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Dan Aykroyd (far left), John Belushi (second left), Aretha Franklin (center) and Matt "Guitar" Murphy (back right) in a scene from the 1980 film, "The Blues Brothers."
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Universal/Everett Collection
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin and Big Mama Thornton perform together onstage on the television series, 'Omnibus,' in 1980.
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Afro Newspaper/Gado/Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin poses backstage during ChicagoFest in 1981.
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Paul Natkin/Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin performs "Jumpin' Jack Flash" with Keith Richards and Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones in 1986.
PHOTO:
Everett Collection
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin sings at the Park West Auditorium in Chicago in 1992.
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Paul Natkin/Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin preforms at the Lincoln Memorial for President Clinton's inaugural gala in 1992.
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Mark Reinstein/Corbis News via Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin became the youngest Kennedy Center Honors Awards recipient in 1994.
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Mark Reinstein/Corbis Historical/Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin performs with, from left, Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan, Carole King (obscured), Shania Twain and Celine Dion during the "Divas Live - An Honors Concert for VH1 Save the Music" at New York's Beacon Theater in 1998.
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Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images/Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin performs at a JVC Jazz Festival concert at New York's Lincoln Center in 2000.
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Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images/Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin sings at civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks' funeral in 2005.
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Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Former President George W. Bush presented Franklin with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in 2005. The medal is awarded to those who have made contributions to national security, world peace or culture.
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MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin and Aaron Neville performed the national anthem before the 2006 Super Bowl in Detroit.
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Michael Conroy/AP
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin in 2008.
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Matt Sayles/AP
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin performed "My Country 'Tis of Thee" at the inauguration of President Barack Obama in 2009.
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Damon Winter/The New York Times/Redux
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin at The NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner in 2009.
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Susan Tusa/Detroit Free Press/AP
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Musician Rob Thomas, Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, actor Zach Levi, actress Jane Krakowski, singer Michael Buble and Franklin at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony in 2009.
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Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin during a 2010 concert, accompanied by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (far left) at the piano and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
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Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin and Oprah Winfrey during a star-studded taping of "Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular," in Chicago in 2011.
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Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
After canceling six months of public appearances because of medical problems, Franklin returned to the stage at the Jones Beach Theater in New York in 2011.
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Josh Haner/The New York Times/Redux
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin, seen on screen, at the "American Idol" finale in 2013.
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Matt Sayles/Invision/AP
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin performs during the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in Washington, D.C. in 2013.
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Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin waves while standing to receive an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Harvard University in 2014.
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Steven Senne/AP
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
An emotional Attorney General Eric Holder, center, and President Barack Obama react after Franklin finished singing a song for Holder at an event celebrating the end of his tenure at the Department of Justice in 2015.
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Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Pope Francis looks on as Franklin performs during the 2015 Festival of Families in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin performing in 2015 at the National Portrait Gallery, where she was honored.
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Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin singing at a benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation in New York in 2017.
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Nina Westervelt/The New York Times/Redux
Photos: 'The Queen of Soul': Aretha Franklin in photos
Franklin and her son Kecalf Cunningham stand under a newly unveiled street sign named in her honor outside Detroit's Music Hall in 2017.