Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin is the undisputed Queen of Soul. A musical prodigy with unrivaled talent and dynamism, Franklin wove her gospel roots into rhythm and blues, becoming one of the pioneers of soul music. Soul — the secularized hybrid of gospel, R&B and jazz — had been dominated by male powerhouses like James Brown, Sam Cooke and Ray Charles before Franklin claimed her crown in the 1960s. 

Franklin’s reign spanned five decades, dozens of chart-topping hits, and millions of adoring fans captivated by her powerful, yet tender voice. As her star rose through the tumult of the civil rights movement, Franklin tirelessly advocated for racial equality through her music and beyond. 

Her music is also elemental to the vast changes and movements that marked the span of her career. “Respect,” perhaps her most iconic song, became a standard of the civil rights movement and the burgeoning feminist movement of 1960s. 

“Nobody embodies more fully the connection between the African American spiritual, the blues, R&B, rock ’n’ roll — the way that hardship and sorrow were transformed into something full of beauty and vitality and hope,” former President Obama said of Franklin in a 2016 interview with The New Yorker.

“American history,” Obama said, “wells up when Aretha sings.”

— Sylvan Lane