Writing Assignment 3

Aretha Franklin is one of the most influential and celebrated African-American
musicians from the past. Dubbed the “Queen of Soul,” Aretha was born in Memphis,
Tennessee, in 1942 (The Ohio State University, 2021). Her father, C. L. Franklin, was a
respected Baptist preacher whose prominent followers included gospel artists like Mahalia
Jackson and Clara Ward. The latter was also Aretha’s aunt. In 1944, the Franklins moved to
Detroit, where Aretha was raised. Aretha started her music career by joining her church choir,
where she earned the position of a featured soloist by the time she turned twelve. While it is
unclear how the daughter of a preacher and a gospel singer ended up as a celebrated soul
musician, Aretha’s troubled life may have played a role in the transition. For example, she
had two children while still in her teenage years.
According to critics, Aretha’s title of “Queen of Soul” does not do her justice because
it implies that she ruled in only that genre of music (Cantwell, 2018). In reality, her music
career spanned many other genres, including country and gospel. Nevertheless, Aretha had a
far-reaching influence not just on the music genres she participated in but also on the careers
of younger current African-American musicians. An example is Chaka Khan, a musician
born as Yvette Marie Stevens in 1953 in Chicago, Illinois. Aretha’s influence on Chaka can
be seen in the latter’s participation in several genres, just like Aretha. These include soul,
R&B, gospel, jazz, disco, pop, and funk. Meanwhile, speaking about Aretha in a 2017
interview, Chaka said that whenever people referred to her as the queen, she would correct
and point out to them that Aretha was the queen as long as she was alive (Hamblin, 2018).

WRITING ASSIGNMENT 3 3

References

Cantwell, D. (2018, August 22). How Aretha Franklin Influenced the Country Music of Dolly
Parton, Tammy Wynette. Retrieved from Rolling Stone:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/how-aretha-franklin-influenced-
dolly-parton-tammy-wynette-714569/
Hamblin, A. (2018, August 16). Aretha Franklin: 5 incredible singers describe her influence.
Retrieved from The San Diego Union Tribune:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/sd-artists-influenced-by-aretha-
franklin-20180816-htmlstory.html
The Ohio State University. (2021). Aretha Franklin. Retrieved from Department of Arts
Administration, Education and Policy, The Ohio State University:
https://aaep1600.osu.edu/book/08_Franklin.php#:~:text=Later%2C%20she%20record
ed%20duets%20with,Whitney%20Houston%20and%20Lauryn%20Hill.