History Music / ArethaFranklin

* TheAce: Her unofficial honor as the Queen of Soul and vocal abilities during her prime years of the 60s and 70s have kept her very name associated with greatness for decades. For just one example, she is ''Magazine/RollingStone's ''pick for best singer of all time.

Her other hits include "Think" ([[RefrainFromAssuming erroneously known as]] "Freedom"), "Chain of Fools", and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." Some of her many achievements include singing at UsefulNotes/{{Martin Luther King|Jr}}'s funeral, becoming the first woman inducted into the UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame in 1987, standing in for Luciano Pavarotti at the 1998 Grammys with an improvised but showstopping operatic number, and singing at UsefulNotes/BarackObama's inauguration ceremony in a hat that took on a [[MemeticMutation life of its own]] and is now kept at the Smithsonian. She has placed at #1 on both Creator/VH1's Top 100 Women of Rock n Roll and ''Rolling Stone'''s Top 100 Singers of All Time. She has also done duets with the late [[Creator/GeorgeMichael George Michael]] and Annie Lennox of [[Music/{{Eurythmics}} The Eurythmics]].

* RefrainFromAssuming: It is common for "Think" to be mistakenly referred to as "Freedom".

Her appearance in ''Film/TheBluesBrothers'' and its sequel as the wife of Matt "Guitar" Murphy revamped her career in the 1980s.

-->-- ''Respect'', opening lines.

Her other hits include "Think" ([[RefrainFromAssuming erroneously known as]] "Freedom"), "Chain of Fools", and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." Some of her many achievements include singing at UsefulNotes/{{Martin Luther King|Jr}}'s funeral, becoming the first woman inducted into the UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame in 1987, standing in for Luciano Pavarotti at the 1998 Grammys with an improvised but showstopping operatic number, and singing at UsefulNotes/BarackObama's inauguration ceremony in a [[NiceHat hat]] that took on a [[MemeticMutation life of its own]] and is now kept at the Smithsonian. She has placed at #1 on both Creator/VH1's Top 100 Women of Rock n Roll and ''Rolling Stone'''s Top 100 Singers of All Time. She has also done duets with the late [[Creator/GeorgeMichael George Michael]] and Annie Lennox of [[Music/{{Eurythmics}} The Eurythmics]].

She's the subject of the third season of ''Series/{{Genius}}'', played by Cynthia Erivo; the original plan was to cover Creator/MaryShelley, but after Franklin's death it was decided to fast-track her season.

** She'd do it again in 1985 with ''Who's Zoomin' Who?'', when she decided to see if her soul sound could resonate in the crowded scene of [[TheEighties '80s]] {{pop}}, incorporating more conventional RAndB. It actually worked out quite well.

Her other hits include "Think" ([[RefrainFromAssuming erroneously known as]] "Freedom"), "Chain of Fools", and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." Some of her many achievements include singing at Martin Luther King's funeral, becoming the first woman inducted into the UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame in 1987, standing in for Luciano Pavarotti at the 1998 Grammys with an improvised but showstopping operatic number, and singing at UsefulNotes/BarackObama's inauguration ceremony in a [[NiceHat hat]] that took on a [[MemeticMutation life of its own]] and is now kept at the Smithsonian. She has placed at #1 on both Creator/VH1's Top 100 Women of Rock n Roll and ''Rolling Stone'''s Top 100 Singers of All Time. She has also done duets with the late [[Creator/GeorgeMichael George Michael]] and Annie Lennox of [[Music/{{Eurythmics}} The Eurythmics]].

She was also involved with a {{musical}} {{biopic}} of her life, which was in production for several years, with Music/JenniferHudson set to star. [[Film/Respect2021 The film]] is currently scheduled to release in August, 2021.

* TheAce: Her unofficial honor as the Queen of Soul and vocal abilities during her prime years of the 60s and 70s have kept her very name associated with greatness for decades.

She was also involved with a {{musical}} {{biopic}} of her life, which was in production for several years, with Music/JenniferHudson set to star. [[Film/{{Respect}} The film]] is currently scheduled to release in August, 2021.

Aretha Louise Franklin, [[FanNickname The Queen of Soul]] (25 March 1942 - 16 August 2018).

* SpellingForEmphasis: In "Respect", the title is spelled out to emphasise it.

* VocalEvolution: Natural after decades of professional singing, Franklin's was brought on a little bit prematurely particularly from the mid-1980s through cigarette smoking, which she gave up in the later stages of her life.

She passed away on August 16, 2018 from pancreatic cancer.

Her other hits include "Think" ([[RefrainFromAssuming erroneously known as]] "Freedom"), "Chain of Fools", and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." Some of her many achievements include singing at Martin Luther King's funeral, becoming the first woman inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, standing in for Luciano Pavarotti at the 1998 Grammys with an improvised but showstopping operatic number, and singing at UsefulNotes/BarackObama's inauguration ceremony in a [[NiceHat hat]] that took on a [[MemeticMutation life of its own]] and is now kept at the Smithsonian. She has placed at #1 on both Creator/VH1's Top 100 Women of Rock n Roll and ''Rolling Stone'''s Top 100 Singers of All Time. She has also done duets with the late [[Creator/GeorgeMichael George Michael]] and Annie Lennox of [[Music/{{Eurythmics}} The Eurythmics]].

She's the subject of the third season of ''Series/{{Genius}}''; the original plan was to cover Creator/MaryShelley, but after Franklin's death it was decided to fast-track her season.

* CoveredUp: [[invoked]]"Respect", "I Say A Little Prayer" and "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" are all signature songs and attributed mostly to Franklin but all are covers.

** "Sisters are Doing it for Themselves," a duet with Annie Lennox of Music/Eurythmics

* FemaleEmpowermentAnthem: Her cover of "Respect" is one of the most iconic examples. It [[TheCoverChangesTheMeaning changes the lyrics]] and [[TheCoverChangesTheGender singer's gender]] so that it's now about a woman demanding respect.