Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin, a legendary musical and cultural figure of both the 20th and 21st centuries, is recognized simply by her first name: Aretha. She is the crowned "Queen Of Soul," with a legacy spanning five decades. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Aretha began her career singing gospel at her father, C. L. Franklin’s church during her childhood. At 18, in 1960, Aretha started a secular career with Columbia Records, achieving moderate success.

Her switch to Atlantic Records in 1967 led to a series of US top-ten hits until 1973, including “Spanish Harlem,” “Chain Of Fools,” and her first chart-topper “Respect,” which earned Aretha her first of 18 Grammys. Many of her singles also succeeded internationally.

By the mid-1970s, Aretha’s commercial success declined, prompting her move to Clive Davis' Arista Records in 1980. Her 1982 hit “Jump to It” brought her back to the top 40 after six years. The 1985 album Who’s Zoomin' Who? reintroduced her to the top 10 with its title track and “Freeway Of Love,” followed by four more top 40 hits through 1986.

In 1987, she topped charts across several countries with George Michael in “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me” and became the first female artist inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

During the next decade, Aretha achieved continued yet moderate success, scoring her final three top 40 hits, the last being 1998’s “A Rose Is Still A Rose” — her 52nd and final R&B top 10 hit, the most of any female artist in chart history. She was awarded both a Legend Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Grammys during this period.

Post-1998, Aretha’s musical output and chart appearances significantly diminished, though her music continued to find success, including three more Grammy wins, with the last in 2007 for Best Gospel Performance (“Never Gonna Break My Faith”). Her final single, a cover of Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep,” topped the US Dance Chart in 2014 and was a minor hit in parts of Europe. Aretha passed away from pancreatic cancer on August 16, 2018, at 76.