Bio Specials Season 1 Episode 38 Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin is arguably the greatest female singer of the 20th century, but obtaining the crown of `The Queen of Soul' did not come easy. Aretha Louise Franklin was born on March 25, 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee. She was the fourth of five children, and her father, the Reverend L Von Franklin was on his way to becoming one of America's most celebrated preachers. When Aretha was two years old the family moved to Detroit, Michigan where Reverend Franklin helped to establish the New Bethel Baptist Church. When entertainers like Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson came to town, they often dropped into the Franklin's, giving Aretha the best musical mentors anyone could ever hope for. In 1948, Aretha's parents separated. Her mother passed away four years later, leaving her father to raise the family.