Aretha Louise Franklin (March
25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer and songwriter. She
began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, where her father, C. L. Franklin, was minister.
In 1960, at the age of 18, she embarked on a secular
career, recording for Columbia Records but
achieving only modest success. After signing to Atlantic Records in
1967, Franklin achieved commercial acclaim and success with songs such as
"Respect",
"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", "Spanish Harlem"
and "Think".
By the end of the 1960s she was being called "The Queen of Soul".