“We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family.
Thank you for your compassion and prayers.
As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time.”
Aretha Franklin.Credit: David Redfern/Redferns
Yet Franklin’s mark on the world goes far beyond her astronomical sales and 18 Grammys.
“American history wells up when Aretha sings.”
This was where 14-year-old Aretha recorded her first album, 1956’sSongs of Faith.
By the time she was 15, Franklin already had given birth to two sons.
“Trying to grow up is hurting, you know.
You make a run at learn from them, and when you don’t it hurts even more.
And I’ve been hurt hurt bad.”
But in 1998, Franklin once again entered the ring.
“I express problems there are tears when it’s sad and smiles when it’s happy.
It seems simple to me, but to some, I guess, feeling takes courage.”
