RESPECT Find Out What It Means To All Of Us: The Aretha Franklin Story (January 3)
Early Life
On March 25, 1942, a child that would forever change music was born. Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis, but she grew up in Detroit. Her mother died of a heart attack when she was a young child, so she lived with her father.
Aretha Franklin started in the church but later had wild success nationally and internationally. Her voice was unparalleled, and she was discovered early. In 1956, her album Songs of Faith was released when she was just 14 years old. Nine years later, her fame would explode with the release of one of her most popular songs, Respect.
Taking Care of Business (TCB)
Aretha rose to fame at a young age, but she was even younger when she became a mom. At 12, she had her first son, and at 15, she had another. Her mother and sister traded off raising the children in her absence as her career took off. At 18, she married her first husband and had a third son. A few years later, she married again and had her fourth son. Her family was important to her, but she had to balance it with all the time she spent on the road.
Respect
Aretha wasn’t asking for respect; she was demanding it. In her song RESPECT, she quips, ” What you want, baby, I got it; What you need, do you know I got it? All I’m askin’ is for a little respect when you get home.” Interestingly, she wasn’t the first to demand it. Otis Redding’s original version of the song was released by Atlantic Records in 1965. Aretha’s rendition was not released until two years later, in 1967. Her version was considerably more popular and went on to be her biggest hit as well as an anthem for the civil rights movement.
A Change is Comin'
The civil rights and women’s rights movements paralleled each other in many ways. So, it was unsurprising when Aretha joined Martin Luther King, Jr. on tour throughout the country. But she was not just there to sing. She also helped financially.
When Angela Davis was arrested, Aretha stepped in, offering to post bail to get her out. She told the press, ‘I know you got to disturb the peace when you can’t get no peace.’
Jesse Jackson said in an interview about Aretha:
When Dr King was alive, several times [Aretha] helped us make payroll. On one occasion, we took an 11-city tour with her and [she] put gas in the vans. She did 11 concerts for free and hosted us at her home, and did a fundraiser for my campaign. Aretha has always been a very socially conscious artist, an inspiration, not just an entertainer.
Aretha Franklin’s contributions to the civil rights movement should not go unnoticed.
It’s Been A Long Time Comin’
On January 3, 1987, Aretha Franklin was the first female to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Aretha Franklin was the first female inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Break It To Me Gently
Aretha remained active until her death on August 16, 2018. Her legacy has not been forgotten. In 2023, Rolling Stone Magazine voted her the No. 1 Singer of All Time. Aretha influenced numerous other musical artists, even performing with many of them in her final years. Her tireless commitment to civil rights through her music and money left lasting impacts. Aretha may have wanted our respect in 1967, but baby, today, she’s got it.