Sadly, Aretha Franklin died on August 16, 2018, but the Queen of Soul’s legacy will live on forever through her music and her work in the Civil Rights movement.
In honor of Ms. Franklin’s passing, here are 10 facts about a life well lived from a woman with an unforgettable voice.
1. She released her first album, Songs of Faith, at the age of 14 in 1956
2. Her first single on Columbia, Today I Sing the Blues, was released in 1960.
3. Franklin’s first Top 10 R&B single was Running out of Fools.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkGXWq0wHYo
4. Her first Billboard #1 song was a cover of Otis Redding’s Respect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L4Bonnw484
5. She sang Precious Lord at Martin Luther King, Jr.’s funeral in 1968
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FdFrtNacgU