Aretha Louise Franklin is a known singer, pianist, and songwriter, who has been dubbed as ìThe Queen of Soul.î Born on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, Franklin is best known for her soul recordings as well as her mastery in rock, jazz, R&B, gospel music, and blues. Her talent has been admired by many, so much so that she has been ranked by Rolling Stone Magazine as the No. 1 artist on its list of Greatest Singers of All Time.
When she was younger, Franklin learned to play the piano by herself, and then later manifested a talent in singing when she was in her teens. She was able to record various gospel vocal recordings in 1956 until early motherhood hampered her career in gospel music. Nevertheless, she was offered contracts from Motown RCA, and was signed by Columbia Records by 1960.
Franklinís journey to fame has not been easy, but it has paved the way to various awards such as being the first female to be inducted into the well known Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was also the only singer featured at the inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama in 2009.