Did Aretha Franklin have a baby 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.

How old was Aretha when she had her second baby?

In 1957, aged 14, Aretha had a second child named Edward after his father Edward Jordan. While Aretha was pursuing her career, her grandmother Rachel and sister Erma took turns raising the children. Now in his 60s, Edward is also a singer.

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

Aretha was a preteen at the time and never publicly revealed who Clarence's father was. She later confirmed in a handwritten will that Edward Jordan Sr. fathered her two older children but “never made any contribution to [their] welfare, future or past, monetarily, material, spiritual, etc."

Who did Aretha Franklin leave her money to?

After the singer died, at age 76, her family believed she had no will. Under Michigan law, her assets would have been divided equally among her four sons: Kecalf, Edward and Clarence Franklin, and Ted White Jr.

What was Aretha Franklin's childhood like?

Her parents separated when she was six, and Franklin remained with her father in Detroit. Her mother died when Aretha was 10. As a young teen, Franklin performed with her father on his gospel programs in major cities throughout the country and was recognized as a vocal prodigy.

The Truth About Aretha Franklin Having A Child With Her Own Father

How old was Aretha Franklin when she conceived her first child?

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.

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 happened to Aretha Franklin's son Clarence?

He has special needs and lives under a legal guardianship, and both wills say he must be supported financially by the estate. (“Kecalf, Eddie and Teddy must check on Clarence and give him$,” Franklin wrote in the 2014 document, according to one of the court filings.)

Did Aretha Franklin's sons inherit her money?

Three of Aretha Franklin's sons have been awarded the late singer's properties more than five years after her death at age 76. On Monday, a judge in Detroit awarded the real estate based on a handwritten will from 2014 that had been found in between couch cushions.

Did Aretha Franklin leave her first husband?

Franklin and White, who was also her manager, married in 1961 when she was just 19 years old; but after seven years of marriage, they separated in 1968. The end of their marriage was dogged by reports of domestic abuse, and White “roughed her up” more than once, according to a 1968 TIME story.

Was Aretha Franklin related to Whitney Houston?

Through Cissy, Houston was a first cousin of accomplished singers Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick as well as a distant cousin of opera singer Leontyne Price. Aretha Franklin became an "honorary aunt", while Darlene Love later became Houston's godmother.

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.

Who are Aretha Franklin's baby daddy?

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.

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.

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.

Was Edward Jordan related to Aretha Franklin?

 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.

Which one of Aretha Franklin's sons has special needs?

“He is requesting the sale proceeds,” his lawyer said on November 29. Clarence, Franklin's oldest son, who has special needs, agreed to a pretrial settlement, which entitles him to a percentage of the total estate. Franklin signed it with a smiley face inside the letter A.

Who grew up with Aretha Franklin?

While we will always remember Aretha Franklin as the "Queen of Soul," legendary Motown musician Smokey Robinson will remember her as one of his oldest friends. They met long before they were stars, growing up in the same neighborhood in Detroit.

What is the difference between Aretha Franklin's two wills?

The main difference between the two documents is whom Franklin designated as her executors in each — White and Franklin's niece in the 2010 document and Kecalf and Edward in the 2014 one. An executor must carry out the terms of the will and take care of the administration of an estate.

What disability does Aretha Franklin's oldest son have?

The "Respect" singer's oldest son, Clarence Franklin, who has mental illness, is under legal guardianship and has reached a settlement for an undisclosed percentage of the estate.

Why is Aretha Franklin's son under guardianship?

(According to an Orlando Sentinel report from 1991, Clarence, born when Franklin was just 12 years old, lives with schizophrenia. He currently lives under guardianship in an assisted living facility. He did not participate in the trial, but both papers indicated that he must be regularly supported.)

Who is the father of Donald Burke Aretha's son?

While she never publicly confirmed who fathered her older children, Ritz revealed in his book that the father of her oldest son, Clarence, 63, was Donald Burke, whom Franklin knew from school. “Aretha went back to school after having Clarence,” the musical icon's sister Erma said in Respect.

Did Aretha Franklin leave a will?

Franklin didn't have a formal, typewritten will. Instead, she jotted down her wishes on two handwritten wills — one dated in 2010 and another in 2014. Both were discovered in Franklin's Detroit home months after the Queen of Soul's death from pancreatic cancer in 2018.

Where did Aretha Franklin live when she died?

(CBS DETROIT) - On this day in 2018, Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, died at the age of 76 at her home in Detroit.

What are some fun facts about Aretha Franklin?

Aretha won 18 Grammys, had 112 singles on the Billboard charts, and sold over 75 million records worldwide. She was the first female performer inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and remains the most charted female artist in history.