She died surrounded by her inner circle of friends, family, and loved ones, just as she would have wanted. She also had either her two sisters singing back up vocals or the group Sweet Inspirations. Franklin, despite being so popular, has tried to lead a private life. Not only did she sing, but she played the familiar piano as well. Over the next couple of years, she had to cancel quite a number of scheduled shows because of mysterious health reasons. The Oscar-nominated British actress then spent even more hours, worrying about whether she got the Queen of Soul right. We all know that Franklin has a voice that exudes power. Franklin’s producer at Atlantic, Jerry Wexler, described her performance as being “a holy blend of truth and unspeakable tragedy.” Just four years later, she also performed at the funeral for gospel icon Mahalia Jackson, which helped to cement her role in the world of gospel music. On August 12, 2018, it was announced that Franklin was gravely ill, with her family and friends staying by her side. Both of her sisters died of cancer, one from throat cancer, and the other from breast cancer, while her brother succumbed to lung cancer. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? She's stunned that the Swampers were all white, forcing producer Jerry Wexler (David Cross) to give her his word that they’ll get the sound she’s looking for. She was 76. She starred alongside Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi in The Blues Brothers, where she started to gain a new following. There are a few false notes in “Genius: Aretha.” The picture occasionally misses the tone of the times or feels artificial and her flashbacks to her childhood that create the series’ structure make it appear that Aretha thought about the past every time she would perform, which no singer would ever do. In the beginning, you would have caught her singing in church in front of her father’s own congregation, and maybe even playing the piano. “Genius: Aretha” was created without permission from Franklin’s family and estate. Who did the honors, you may ask? Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. C.L. Let’s stay in 1968 for just a quick moment. In this case, Whitney Houston. On March 6, 2017, he took part in a benefit concert celebrating the music of Aretha Franklin at Carnegie Hall. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. In 1979, as she was performing at a concert in Las Vegas, he was shot by robbers and sadly stayed in a coma until 1984, when he died. Franklin made quite the statement in 1987, becoming the first woman to ever be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. https://www.factinate.com/people/31-iconic-facts-aretha-franklin Famous reverend Jesse Jackson presided over the funeral. “I know that there is not just the responsibility to play them well, but (also) to tell their stories the way they would want to see it,” Erivo said during a SXSW Online session last week. Erivo is captivating, but there’s a need for additional onscreen text to fill in too many gaps that end up becoming the focus of later episodes. Television placements. 2012: Awards Council member Aretha Franklin is joined onstage by General Colin Powell and Academy delegates during her performance that concluded the 50th annual Banquet of the Golden Plate ceremonies in Washington. We’d like to ask you about some of the qualities that you think … ... Yeah, so there were a lot of sleepless nights.”. In a career that’s spanned over half a century, it’s undeniable that Aretha Franklin is a powerhouse. It remains to be seen whether it tells her story with the sympathetic honesty of the television series or if Hudson’s performance will measure up to Erivo’s top-shelf work. ", Cynthia Erivo spent hours with her vocal coach trying to figure out how Aretha Franklin sang her classics — iconic hits that Erivo would have to replicate when she played Franklin in “Genius: Aretha.”. When he introduced her, he made a slight gaffe: he misspelled respect! Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. Even in later years, Franklin said she didn’t mind singing the hit, saying “I just find new ways of refreshing the song.” Oh, and speaking of refreshing the song: it wasn’t even her own! My mom never told me how her best friend died. She credits her family with helping her in those early years, saying “my grandmother helped me a lot, and my sister and my cousin. “My goal and the goal of the whole show was to put respect on Aretha’s name. She never commented further about that ailment, but did say, “I’ve left that behind, I’m feeling wonderful.”. One of her biggest hits wasn’t even her own tune! But did you know that she has a four-octave vocal range? There's something about the family structure that encourages secrets. Stephanie Kelsey loves trivia, but she's terrible at playing Jeopardy. No clan is left untouched, and even families that seem happy and normal on…. None other than Keith Richards. Unlike “Genius: Aretha,” "Respect” has the seal of approval from Franklin’s family. Combine that with her 75 million-plus records sold worldwide, and you have one of the biggest stars in music history. Well, for Franklin it’s technically none of the above. Franklin is a mom of, get this, four boys. Things weren’t really easy for Franklin when she was young. It was released around the same time when black activism, feminism, and female sexuality were all important topics in society that were beginning to gain more and more attention. “Respect” was released that next year, in 1967. Back in 2014, an unauthorized biography about Franklin was released, and she was none too pleased about it. Clarence and Edward were in her life before she had her first single, while Theodore and Kecalf followed years later, in 1963 and 1970. We can all learn a little something from each other, so whatever people can take and be inspired by where my music is concerned is great.”. While she was with Atlantic Records, Franklin took some control back into her own hands. The Songs of Faith album, recorded at her father’s church, was released in 1956. “I don’t think we fully contemplated a musical artist,” Grazer said. Let’s just…, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, These People Got Revenge In The Most Ingenious Ways, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s First Wife, Heartbreaking Facts About Ill-Fated Royal Romances, Provocative Facts About Shelley Winters, The Platinum Phenomenon, Controversial Facts About Richard Pryor, The Comic Icon With A Tragic Life. As the most commanding mistress in the French court, she bettered the lives of many and became a beloved figure…. Franklin and her sisters added the distinctive “Sock it to me” harmony. Jennifer Hudson can, though. Would they be happy with how it’s portrayed?”, “It’s really about this person who is real, who existed, who left a mark on the world that we are all benefitting from — would they be pleased with what they saw? Franklin was known as Auntie Ree to Houston. Aretha Franklin Because hers is a title well-earned: ... Jackson pried open the Democratic Party structure and helped increase black participation in politics. In fact, she has a pretty interesting thought about it: “What is auto-tune? You try to learn from them, and when you don’t it hurts even more.”, “I didn’t think my songs would become anthems for women. Franklin was a British chemist, known for her early use of X-ray diffraction. “I’ve been to California from Detroit four times this year and Florida,” she’s said. Her career has been a very long, very enriching one. You have permission to edit this article. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. You can cancel at any time. On Twitter @KentWolgamott. Her health in recent years has become something of a hot topic. Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. Think about it: who else is known as the Queen of Soul? The designer, Detroit-based Luke Song, sold out of the style not long after garnering attention. Franklin (Courtney B. Vance) and the adult Aretha, dealing with her husband Ted White (Malcolm Barrett), befriending Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., raising her boys, performing and working in the recording studio. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and his family were close friends of Franklin’s father. We want our readers to trust us. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame isn’t the only place that’s recognized Franklin’s talent. © Copyright 2021 by Factinate.com. Around the time she became a mother of two, she did, in fact, record some music. Here, we take a look back at the incredible life Franklin has led, and the doorways she opened for so many artists today. The crowd that night loved it too, giving her a standing ovation. There was a problem saving your notification. In Genius: Aretha, the National Geographic mini-series about the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin (played by Cynthia Erivo) ... It’s a very structure orientated concept. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. But I’m delighted. “I feel very, very enriched and satisfied with respect to where my career came from and where it is now,” she said. This hit wasn’t just big on the charts–it was a revolutionary, empowering song for young women too. In 2015, Franklin had the distinction of performing at the Kennedy Center. Eight years before her induction there, she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Reverend Jesse Jackson was also along for the fight, and knowing Franklin for decades, he has some pretty good insight into her demeanor. Just a year later, she released her first album, the self-titled Aretha. In addition to the two Grammy Awards she won for “Respect,” Franklin has won 16 others! She was even lucky enough to be invited to sing at three different inauguration ceremonies. Parks tells Franklin’s story episodically, bouncing back and forth between little Re, growing up under the watchful eye of her father, the Rev. In 2017, Franklin announced that she would be collaborating with the one and only Stevie Wonder for a new album. I don’t even know what auto-tune is.” We don’t think she needs to know about it, either! Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. “God knows I wanted to be there, but I couldn’t,” she said after being criticized for her absence. Franklin stepped in and pulled off an incredible performance. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. At their best, the alternating-structure plan lends new context to Aretha’s life. One member of Sweet Inspirations just happened to be Cissy Houston, mother to future star Whitney. Franklin chose the singer early in 2018 to portray her in a biopic. She even taught herself how to play the piano. With support like that, there’s no doubt that Hudson will do an amazing job bringing Franklin’s life to the big screen. It’s her tour bus! Within four years, her mother passed away because of a heart attack. The structure of each song (and the entire album) does not emphasize one specific musician beyond their given role. Alright, we get it. There’s no doubt that Franklin’s life wasn’t the easiest. “I go wherever I choose to go comfortably on my custom bus.”, In 2011, Franklin disclosed that she had lost 85 lbs due to an undisclosed ailment. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. After a ride through the South with Ted that causes her to recall a trip with her father in the 1950s, when they were accosted by racist whites, Franklin enters the studio to play a make-it-or-break-it session with the studio band, the Swampers, that played on Wilson Pickett’s soul hits. Watch full episodes, specials and documentaries with National Geographic TV channel online. In the same interview, though, she announced her retirement from performing. When he was assassinated in 1968, she performed “Precious Lord” at King’s funeral. She struggled with alcoholism and was even a chain smoker. The music industry also found it to be a hit; it scored two Grammy Awards that year. When she’s not getting questions wrong, you can find her following her cat around or digging into a plate of nachos. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. They would babysit so I could get out occasionally.”. She’s well accomplished, has fought for civil rights and liberties, has paved the way for other female artists who would follow her lead, and has left an incredible mark on the music charts. Men … You aren’t a real star unless you have something named after you, right? Executive producer Brian Grazer said that dozens of scientists, activists, writers and artists were under consideration for the third season when, on Aug. 16, 2018, he heard that Franklin had died. She was also awarded the Grammy Legend Award in 1991 and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award three years later. She gave up smoking way back in 1992, and later conceded that the smoking was bad for her voice. Franklin was only six years old when her parents separated. If you aren’t singing it already, we’re going to try and get “Respect” in your head. Not only did Franklin teach herself to play piano, but she also managed to learn “Nessun Dorma,” an opera aria, in 20 minutes! That kind of drama carries through the series, punctuated by Aretha’s singing, impressively done by Erivo and Shaian Jordan, who plays little Re. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways…. Women probably immediately feel compassion and relate to the lyrics. In fact, in 2010, she performed with Condoleezza Rice, also a classical piano player, during a benefit in Philadelphia. Things happen, right? Keep reading to find that out. Cynthia Erivo says she worried about giving the life and musical genius of Aretha Franklin its due in the National Geographic series, "Genius: Aretha. She then traveled with a revival show and even performed alongside famous gospel names like Clara Ward, Mahalia Jackson, and Sam Cooke. “Throughout the whole series, we didn’t shy away from telling the truth,” said Suzan Lori-Parks, a playwright who wrote the series script. Turns out, she has an incredible fear of flying. The show will air in its memorable 7 p.m. timeslot. Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Pavarotti was set to perform it at the 1998 Grammy Awards, but fell ill virtually last minute. Many labels tried to get her to sign, but it would be Columbia Records that caught her. “She did 11 concerts for free and hosted us at her home and did a fundraiser for my campaign. She was only about 18 years old when, with her father’s okay, she went to New York to follow her singing dreams. At one point, Franklin underwent surgery, but—fiercely private up until the end— she continuously refused to discuss the source of the illness. Please subscribe to keep reading. And, considering February is Black History Month, it’s perfect timing! During Barack Obama’s inauguration, Franklin’s hat caused quite the talk just about everywhere. In 1985, the state of Michigan also declared her voice to be a “national resource,” although we’re not entirely sure what that entails. Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, Heartbreaking Facts About Whitney Houston, The Tragic Queen Of Pop, These Jerks Had No Idea Who They Were Messing With, Catherine de Medici Was Utterly Ruthless—And She Paid A Terrible Price, These Mortifying Mistakes Make Us Want To Hit “Undo”, Eleanor Of Aquitaine Was England’s Fiercest Queen—Until Her Brutal End, These Stories Of Unforgettable Close Calls Made Our Jaws Drop. Franklin was even set to sing at Houston’s funeral, but leg spasms forced her to cancel. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Episode six, for instance, focuses on the making of Amazing Grace , her 1972 gospel album. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Many moons later, she took up her role again in Blues Brothers 2000. “The day Aretha died, I was ‘Oh, my God, this is it.'”. It is at the legendary FAME studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where a pivotal scene takes place in the first episode. “American history wells up when Aretha sings.” He went on to add, “nobody embodies more fully the connection between the African-American spiritual, the blues, R&B, rock and roll – the way that hardship and sorrow were transformed into something full of beauty and vitality and hope.” Franklin may have gotten a little sassy (and we love it) midway during the performance when she took off the fur coat she was wearing and let it drop to the stage around her. While Grazer said Aretha’s story was too complex to be boiled down into a movie, a Franklin biopic is headed for theaters in August. You make mistakes. Franklin must have caught her mother’s singing ability because she earned a reputation for her own singing talent from a young age. Franklin lived through the era when social change was a big deal. In 2005, she received top praise with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. See more. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. But I mean, she even spells it out in her song of the same name. “Respect” will star Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson as Aretha. That might have restricted the production's access to some material. Her father then moved the family from Tennessee to Michigan for his preaching position in the church and became renowned for his service. then {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}} per month. Reach the writer at 402-473-7244 or kwolgamott@journalstar.com. Back then, Detroit’s Mayor, Jerome P. Cavanaugh, declared February 16 to be Aretha Franklin Day. One of her photographs led to major discoveries involving DNA structure, though other scientists took credit for it. Franklin didn’t even graduate from high school, but she did continue to study classical piano. When she died on August 16, her cause of death was revealed to be pancreatic cancer. Her father was a Baptist preacher and her mother a gospel singer. She died on August 16, 2018. Which one? At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. He has had two songs placed on FOX's So You Think You Can Dance in both Canada and the US. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? There was an incident in 1982 when the plane she was on hit some bad turbulence and she’s been grounded ever since. Mutual of Omaha’s “Wild Kingdom” will start rebroadcasting old episodes and some updated content on RFD-TV starting Sunday. Abandoned Luncheonette is the second studio album by the American pop rock duo Daryl Hall & John Oates, released in 1973, which combines folk, Philly soul, and acoustic soul.It is the most commercially successful of their Atlantic Records period; the album reached #33 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart. But those stumbles are more than overcome by the informative, insightful storytelling and the performances, especially from Vance and Erivo, who need not be concerned about whether Franklin would have approved of her towering, sympathetic performance. The ordeal also puts Ted on edge and leads to a physical confrontation later that night that threatens their marriage and her career. “Aretha” is the third season of the network's “Genius” series, which debuted in 2017 with Albert Einstein and continued the next year with Pablo Picasso. Aretha has always been a very socially conscious artist, an inspiration, not just an entertainer.”. There’s one topic that you’d be hard-pressed to get her to open up about: her father. “Genius: Aretha” is a complex tale, messily told. But it also allowed an unvarnished portrayal of Franklin, who had a baby at 12, was in an abusive marriage and struggled with self-doubt. Thanks for your time! “It always dawns on me that if this person was alive today and they were sitting with me watching this, would they be proud of seeing this? Franklin was part of a Women of Soul tribute at the White House while Obama was in office. With all of her connections in the entertainment industry, it would be pretty hard to believe if Franklin wasn’t a Godmother to at least one famous name. Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIII’s first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. The eight-hour mini-series, presented as a four-night special event this week, is now streaming on the National Geographic website and Hulu, as well as airing on the National Geographic channel, where it is also available on demand. Not many people can say that they were handpicked by the person themselves to star as, well, them. She referred to Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin by David Ritz as “trashy.” The statement she released regarding the book indicated that she believed the author had been carrying a grudge for a long time, saying that “[the writer’s] actions are obviously vindictive because I edited out some crazy statements he had the gall to try and put in my book written 15 years ago.” Note to self: don’t get on her bad side. Franklin’s career is well over 50 years in the making, so she’s seen quite a few American Presidents in her time. “Trying to grow up is hurting, you know. It wasn’t always that way, though. Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. Franklin has also received two honorary doctorates of music: one from Yale University and the other from Berklee College of Music. 'Genius: Aretha' tells the story of Aretha Franklin with great performance by Cynthia Erivo. Five years later, she made the move to Atlantic Records, where her career really took off. “Aretha” is the third season of the National Geographic network's “Genius” series, which debuted in 2017 with Albert Einstein and continued the next year with Pablo Picasso. She’s known for being the only female artist in history to hold the record for reaching the charts, having 112 of her singles chart on Billboard. Then-President Obama was visibly emotional when she sang “Natural Woman” and talked about his feelings about the singer.

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