Tribute to Aretha Franklin
Singer and songwriter Aretha Franklin has passed away following a battle with cancer.
Aretha Franklin, the undisputed 'Queen of Soul' who brought us classics such as 'Think', ‘I Say a Little Prayer', and her signature song, 'Respect', has died at the age of 76.
Franklin died on Thursday in Detroit where family and friends had gathered during her final days.
She was known for the vocal power behind her feminist-tinged covers such as Otis Redding's 'Respect'.
Franklin was an inspiration for two generations of pop divas.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee on March 25, 1942 to C.L. Franklin, a prominent Baptist preacher, and Barbara Siggers Franklin, Aretha Louise Franklin grew up singing gospel in her father's New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit.
Her first recording, 'Spirituals', came out on a local label in 1956 when she was 14.
She released her first album, 'The Great Aretha Franklin', in 1960 after signing with Columbia records in the same year.
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That brought her several R&B hits, and one which broke into Billboard's top 40 in 1961, 'Rock-A-Bye Your Baby'.
Her anthem, 'Respect', soared to number one in 1967, topping the charts for weeks and being adopted as the anthem of the civil rights and the women's equality movements.
In 1987, Franklin became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Marcelle Gordon, our sports presenter, remembers the 'Queen of Soul'. Watch the video below.
Here are some of her biggest songs.
'Respect'
'You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman'
- 'I Say a Little Prayer'