Aretha Franklin

Brief

     Franklin (1942-2018) was a singer, songwriter, and pianist whose distinctive vocals and fusion of gospel, soul, and R&B earned her recognition as the "Queen of Soul." She amassed extraordinary commercial and critical successes, selling more than 75 million records worldwide and earning 18 Grammy Awards and 44 nominations. Her achievements continued throughout her career, and in 1987, she made history as the first woman performer inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Rolling Stone magazine twice named her the greatest singer of all time.

     Franklin was also deeply rooted in the civil rights movement. She maintained strong ties to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and a close friendship with Martin Luther King Jr. She toured extensively with King, performed without compensation, and raising funds for the movement through her concerts and personal financial contributions. In 1970 she made headlines when she offered to post bail for Angela Davis, the prominent Black Power activist and scholar who had been arrested on controversial charges. "Black people will be free," Franklin declared, pledging her support regardless of the amount.

     Franklin's music and activism earned her the nation's highest honors, the National Medal of Arts and Presidential Medal of Freedom, cementing her legacy as both a musical force and a pivotal figure in the civil rights movement.

‍