Aretha Franklin

By JASPER BURNES ‘21

The word was taken by surprise when, on August 19, 2018, the Queen of Soul herself Aretha Franklin died of pancreatic cancer in her home in Detroit. Franklin is one of the most famous entertainers in American history: she had been nominated for the 44 Grammys, 18 of which she won. Additionally, she has performed at three different presidential inaugurations and is the first woman to ever be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her incredible musical talent brought her all around the world, performing for a variety of audiences.

However, Aretha Franklin did much more than sing. She was a major figure in the Civil Rights Movement in the 70’s and early 80’s, and her six decade career was filled with protesting racial inequality and injustice in many different ways. These ranged from releasing multiple songs directly addressing black liberation to offering to post bail for a political activist in court. Her songs addressing black liberation are, unsurprisingly, some of her most popular. Her 1967 chart-topping hit, “Respect”, impacted people across America, arguably as one of her best songs. In her memoir, Aretha: From These Roots, she calls “Respect” a song that “[reflected] the need of a nation, the need of the average man and woman in the street, the businessman, the mother, the fireman, the teacher—everyone wanted respect.” Though this quote references “Respect” as being influential during the heart of the Civil Rights Movement, its message has reached people all around the world.

Franklin began performing with her father in gospel clubs when she was just twelve years old. Within a few years, she was known all across the south as a gospel prodigy. Aretha’s youth was filled with a variety of singing experiences across Memphis, many of which were done side-by-side with her father. After her mother died, her father immediately took control over Aretha’s potential, becoming her full-time manager. At the time, her father was the only close relative to help push her singing career.

Both of Aretha’s parents had a background in music. Her mother, an accomplished pianist and a talented vocalist, was a major influence on Franklin musically.  Franklin’s father, Clarence LaVaughn Franklin, was baptist minister and an incredible singer, nicknamed the man with “The Million Dollar Voice.” One can only imagine the amount of music Aretha Franklin was exposed to growing up in Memphis, a Blues music hub, with such intensely musical parents.

Aretha Franklin’s excellence propelled her beyond the confines of the southern Blues music industry; she was listened to all around the world. Due to her immense fan base, her loss hit people everywhere. In honor of Aretha’s amazing long life, her estate held a public casket viewing and a beautiful funeral service. The service consisted of performances from Ariana Grande, Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson. Many celebrities released statements following her death. Reflecting on his own loss, Elton John expressed his pain perfectly, saying “the loss of Aretha Franklin is a blow for everybody who loves real music: music from the heart, the soul, and the Church.”