Biography

Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter and pianist commonly referred to as The Queen of Soul. Although renowned for her soul recordings, Franklin is also adept at jazz, rock, blues, pop, R&B and gospel music. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Franklin No. 1 on its list of The Greatest Singers of All Time. Her next single, "Respect," written and originally recorded by Otis Redding, firmly launched Franklin on the road to stardom. Franklin's feminist version of the song became her signature tune for life, reaching No. 1 on both the R&B and the Pop charts—holding the top spot on the former chart for a record eight weeks. Franklin released a number of top-ten hits including "Baby I Love You," "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," and "Chain of Fools." In early 1968, Franklin won her first two Grammys (for "Respect"), including the first Grammy awarded in the "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" category. Other best hits: I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me), Spanish Harlem, Freeway of Love, Baby I Love You, Sweet Sweet Baby Since You've Been Gone, Bridge Over Troubled Water