Public Figure Profiles

Aretha Franklin

Aretha Louise Franklin ( ə-REE-thə; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With global sales of over 75 million records, Franklin is one of the world's best-selling music artists.As a child, Franklin was noticed for her gospel singing at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father C. L. Franklin was a minister. At the age of 18, she was signed as a recording artist for Columbia Records. While her career did not immediately flourish, Franklin found acclaim and commercial success once she signed with Atlantic Records in 1966. Hit songs such as "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)", "Respect", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", "Chain of Fools", "Think", and "I Say a Little Prayer", propelled Franklin past her musical peers.

Franklin continued to record acclaimed albums such as I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967), Lady Soul (1968), Spirit in the Dark (1970), Young, Gifted and Black (1972), Amazing Grace (1972), and Sparkle (1976), before experiencing problems with the record company. Franklin left Atlantic in 1979 and signed with Arista Records. The singer appeared in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers before releasing the successful albums Jump to It (1982), Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985) and Aretha (1986) on the Arista label. In 1998, Franklin returned to the Top 40 with the Lauryn Hill-produced song "A Rose Is Still a Rose"; later, she released an album with the same name.

Franklin recorded 112 charted singles on the US Billboard charts, including 73 Hot 100 entries, 17 top-ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries and 20 number-one R&B singles. Besides the foregoing, the singer's well-known hits also include "Ain't No Way", "Call Me", "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)", "Spanish Harlem", "Rock Steady", "Day Dreaming", "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)", "Something He Can Feel", "Jump to It", "Freeway of Love", "Who's Zoomin' Who" and "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (a duet with George Michael). Franklin won 18 Grammy Awards, including the first eight awards given for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (1968–1975), a Grammy Awards Living Legend honor and Lifetime Achievement Award.

Franklin received numerous honors throughout her career. She was awarded the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1987, she became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She also was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked Franklin number one on its list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In 2019, the Pulitzer Prize jury awarded the singer a posthumous special citation "for her indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades". In 2020, Franklin was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.

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Some of their strengths

Aretha Franklin has many admirable traits.

Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Adventurous, Energetic, Intuitive, Passionate, Generous, Creative, and Loyal.

Independent and Brave

According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Aretha Franklin is someone who is an independent, brave, and honest person who approaches life with energy, intuition, passion, and generosity. A person who is known for being diligent and strong.

Warm and Caring

Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Aretha Franklin well know them as someone who can be warm, caring, and compassionate, like a lamp or torch.

Courteous and Easygoing

According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Aretha Franklin as someone who is polite, modest, and diplomatic.

A person who tends to be socially popular, who loves intellectual or creative activities, who has a talent for communicating with and understanding the needs of others, and who seems to have a knack for getting recognized for their efforts.

Assertive and Protective

Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Aretha Franklin is someone who is a somewhat private person who has a strong personality and ability to read other people.

They are also someone who is patient, assertive, and who is a natural leader that likes to help others in need.

Independent and Dynamic

According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Aretha Franklin tends to be someone who is independent, dynamic, and courageous. Who can be positive, energetic, self-reliant, and adventurous, and who can make friends easily.

Some of Aretha Franklin's challenges

While Aretha Franklin has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.

For example, Aretha Franklin can be Short-tempered, Impulsive, Emotional, Standoffish, Complicated, Brusque, and Indecisive.

Short-tempered and Impulsive

One of Aretha Franklin's key challenges is that they are someone who can come across as short-tempered and impulsive.

Indecisive and Materialistic

Aretha Franklin is someone who can be indecisive, indulgent, and materialistic, who can have difficulty focusing on a single career or profession, have difficulty following orders or respecting authority, and who can suffer from "analysis paralysis".

Aggressive and Domineering

Finally, Aretha Franklin also can be aggressive, impatient, impulsive, and short-tempered.

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