Aretha Franklin was born on March 25, 1942, in Tennessee. Aretha’s parents separated when she was only six. Her mom died of a heart attack when she was only ten. At the age of fourteen she signed a record deal with Checker Records. In 1956, she issued The Gospel Soul of Aretha Franklin. Her influences included Clara Ward and Mahailia Jackson, who spent a lot of time in Aretha’s home.

Her gospel career was derailed when she gave birth to the first and second of her four sons in 1955 and 1957. When she returned to singing, instead of performing gospel and started as a pop artist. Franklin signed with Columbia Records in 1960. However by the end of 1966, she accepted an offer to sigh with Atlantic Records. “They made her sit down on the piano and the hits came she” says.

In 1997 Franklin issued her first Atlantic single, “I Never Love A Man. By the end of the 1960s Aretha as Queen of Soul was firmly established. Aretha was married to Ted White, her manger, from 1961 to 1969. In 1978 she married Glynn Truman. Aretha and Truman divorced in early 1984. Everyone loved her voice.

I picked Aretha because she is an inspiration to all. She is a great singer, songwriter, and pianist. She never let anyone down, so you can trust her. She is always doing her own thing and never steals anything from somebody else.