Aretha Louise Franklin, born on March 25, 1942, and passing away on August 16, 2018, was an iconic American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Recognized as the ‘Queen of Soul,’ she was renowned as one of the greatest singers of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. Franklin’s musical journey began with her gospel singing at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, under the guidance of her father, C. L. Franklin, a minister. Her career took a significant turn at the age of 18 when she signed with Columbia Records as a recording artist.
Although initially facing challenges, Franklin’s path to success blossomed after joining Atlantic Records in 1966. She released several remarkable albums, including ‘I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You,’ ‘Lady Soul,’ ‘Spirit in the Dark,’ ‘Young, Gifted and Black,’ ‘Amazing Grace,’ and ‘Sparkle.’ Despite encountering difficulties with the record company, Franklin’s talent shone through, leading her to leave Atlantic in 1979 to sign with Arista Records. Her musical legacy includes chart-topping singles such as ‘Respect,’ ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,’ ‘Think,’ ‘Freeway of Love,’ and many more, solidifying her as one of the best-selling music artists with over 75 million records sold globally.