Sadly, Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, has passed away, leaving the world to begin mourning the loss of a national treasure. With a career that began in the late 1950s, she earned 18 Grammy Awards, 112 charted singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and over 75 million albums sold. Aretha broke down barriers and defined soul music for generations.
Take a look at some of the major milestones she achieved during her dynamic career.
At 14 years old, Aretha Franklin releases her first album Songs of Faith on JVB/Battle Records. The nine-track album was recorded live at New Bethel Baptist Church, the church of her father Reverend C. L. Franklin, in Detroit, Michigan. The album was not a hit, but would mark the beginning of her incredible career.
3. 1967
Aretha scores her first top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)” and hits number one with “Respect,” which was originally recorded by Otis Redding. Both songs are from the I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You album. Aretha officially became a superstar.
4. 1968
Love Global Grind? Get more! Join the Global Grind Newsletter
Aretha released two studio albums in 1968, Lady Soul and Aretha Now, both top five hits on the Billboard album chart. This is also the year she won her first Grammy. But tragedy struck the nation when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Watch the powerful clip above from April 9, 1968.
5. 1972
Aretha releases the gospel album “Amazing Grace.” The album won a Grammy and became the highest selling live gospel music album of all time.
6. 1977
Aretha performs “God Bless America” at the inauguration gala of President Jimmy Carter, her first of four inaugurations at which she would perform.
In 1979, Aretha Franklin’s father C.L. Franklin was shot by burglars. He remained in a coma until his death in 1984. See the photo above from 1971 with her father and her sister Carolyn.
8. 1987
Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was not in attendance, but Clive Davis attended and read her speech (see above). She also lands her second number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with George Michael for the song “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me).” The song won her a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo.
9. 1993
On January 20, 1993, Aretha performs “I Dreamed a Dream” at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton.
10. 1994
At 52, Aretha becomes the youngest recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor. See a brief clip above.
11. 1998
At the last minute, Aretha replaced Luciano Pavarotti, who canceled at the last minute due to illness, at the Grammys for a performance of the opera song “Nessun dorma.” She also released her final top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with the Lauryn Hill-produced “A Rose Is Still a Rose”.
13. 2009
On January 20, 2009, Aretha performs “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” at the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
14. 2014
Aretha releases the album Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics, which includes a cover of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” The songs charts at number 47 on the Billboard R&B singles chart, making her the first female artist to score 100 hits on the chart.
15. 2017
Aretha announces her retirement, saying, “I am retiring this year. I will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert.” She performs for the last time in June of 2017 in Detroit, at the inaugural Detroit Music Weekend. She sang on Aretha Franklin Way and asked the crowd to keep her in their prayers. Watch above.
