Did Aretha Franklin graduate from Juilliard?

Franklin never enrolled at the famed school, but she did manage to take private lessons with a Juilliard-trained instructor.

Why did Aretha Franklin dropout of high school?

She dropped out of high school at 15 to care for her first child. Franklin has since received numerous honorary degrees from universities like Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and the Berklee College of Music. In 1987, Franklin became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Was Aretha Franklin classically trained?

Aretha's father encouraged her to sing. When she was very small, her father would stand her on a chair to be seen from the pews when she sang in church. She learned to play piano by ear, although she resisted formal lessons, and by age ten, she could foresee a career as a gospel singer.

Who taught Aretha Franklin how do you play piano?

Franklin learned to play the piano by ear. Aretha's mother was a wonderful pianist, and renowned jazz and gospel pianists like Art Tatum and Reverend James Cleveland (who visited her childhood home) provided a strong informal education to the budding artist.

Did Aretha own her Masters?

She also retained ownership of select masters from her later Atlantic years, a rarity for artists in 1978, when she parted ways with the label.

Aretha Franklin Biography: Life and Career of the Soul Singer

What degree did Aretha Franklin have?

Even though the singer didn't attend college, in 2006 and 2010 Franklin received honorary doctorate degrees of music from Berklee College of Music and Yale University in 2006 and 2010 respectively, reports the Daily Mail.

Did Aretha Franklin have a child when she was a child?

Franklin was Baptist. Franklin was the mother of four sons. She first became pregnant at the age of 12 and gave birth to her first child, named Clarence after her father, on January 28, 1955. In one of her handwritten wills, discovered in 2019, Franklin revealed that the father was Edward Jordan.

Who fathered Aretha Franklin's baby when she was 12?

Edward Jordan is the father of two of Franklin's sons. At age 12, the music legend gave birth to her first child, Clarence, in 1955. She originally claimed the father was a schoolmate, yet in the wills she reportedly handwrote, she refers to Edward Sr. as his father.

How good was Aretha Franklin at piano?

Even among the world's greatest session players, Franklin handled the piano in exemplary style.

Could Aretha Franklin read music?

Musicologists later would explain that although Franklin did not read music and had no formal training, the piano was where she would summon her genius.

Did Aretha Franklin have a high school diploma?

Franklin also won three special Grammy awards. A high school dropout, she had two honorary doctorates of music, from Berklee College of Music and Yale University.

Who taught Aretha Franklin how do you sing?

Aretha Franklin began her career in Detroit singing gospel under the tutelage of her father, C.L. Franklin. As a teenage mother of two in the mid-1950s, sticking with gospel would have been a sensible path for the young singer.

What octave was Aretha Franklin?

She could sing notes spanning well over three octaves – and some people even argue she could sing up to four octaves. This YouTuber has painstakingly put together footage of Aretha singing from G2 (that's the second G below middle C) to E6 (just over two octaves above middle C).

Was Aretha Franklin related to Whitney Houston?

Aretha was her 'Aunt'

Whitney's mother, Cissy Houston, sang as a backing vocalist for Aretha Franklin and the two became close friends. The Queen of Soul — or 'Aunt Ree' as Whitney would call her — became Whitney's honourary aunt.

Who did Aretha Franklin leave her fortune to?

The singer was twice divorced and did not remarry, meaning that her multimillion pound estate would be split evenly between her four surviving children; Clarence Franklin, 63, Edward Franklin, 61, Ted White Jr, 54, and Kecalf Cunningham, 48, in accordance to Michigan state law.

What did Aretha do when she was 14?

As a teen, Aretha Franklin sang in a junior gospel choir. She released a gospel album, The Gospel Sound of Aretha Franklin, in 1956, at age 14. In 1960 Franklin transitioned from sacred to secular music. She signed with Columbia Records in New York and released her first single, “Today I Sing the Blues,” in 1960.

Was Aretha Franklin a soprano?

Her voice is classified as Mezzo-soprano and her range is approximately G2 (that's the second G below middle C) to E6 (just over two octaves above middle C). Others in this class include Beyoncé, Adele, Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow and hundreds of others. They all just didn't do it quite like Aretha.

What was Aretha Franklin's most successful song?

Her most famous songs include “Respect” (1967), “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968), “Chain of Fools” (1967), and “Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)” (1973).

What made Aretha Franklin so good?

It is not merely that Aretha's voice is unmistakable, from the first notes she strikes on any number; it's more that it's impossible to imagine music without the impact of that voice – its rich warmth and empathy, the glorious vivacity of her mezzo-soprano vocal range, and its no-messing power.

What happened to Aretha Franklin's son Clarence?

Clarence went on to write several songs, some of which Aretha even sang and recorded herself. According to court papers obtained by The New York Times, Clarence was diagnosed with an undisclosed mental illness and spent time in various assisted living facilities.

How many husbands did Aretha Franklin have?

Aretha Franklin was married twice in her life, with her second marriage only lasting a couple of years. Just under 10 years after her turbulent first marriage to former manager Ted White came to an end, the Queen of Soul married partner Glynn Turman.

What happened to Aretha Franklin's first child?

Little is known about Aretha's first-born Clarence's life, but it has been reported that Clarence has special needs and lives in an assisted living facility. It is thought that he has written songs, including some recorded by his mother.

What was Aretha Franklin's net worth when she died?

Aretha Franklin was a global star for decades, known especially for hits like "Think," "I Say a Little Prayer" and "Respect." Aretha Franklin did not leave behind a formal, typewritten will when she died five years ago at age 76. The singer reportedly had a net worth of $80 million when she died.

Do any of Aretha Franklin's children sing?

Born in 1955, when Aretha was just 12-years-old, Clarence Franklin was named after Aretha's father. Her biographer, David Ritz, revealed that Clarence has musical skills like his mother — and he even wrote some songs that his mother has subsequently recorded!

What happened to Aretha's sister?

In 1976, Carolyn retired from the music industry. She appeared as one of Aretha's background singers in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. Carolyn died of breast cancer at Aretha's home in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, on April 25, 1988. In Respect, she is played by actress Hailey Kilgore.