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Aretha Franklin

American singer, songwriter, and pianist (1942–2018)
Person human Q125121
Aretha Franklin
Atlantic Records (Life time: Published before 1978 without a copyright notice) · Public Domain · Wikimedia
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Summary

Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis[1]. She died in Detroit[2]. She worked as a singer[3], songwriter[4], activist[5], pianist[6], and composer[7]. She ranks in the top 0.14% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (53,460 views/month, #1,367 of 1,000,298).[8]

Key Facts

  • Place of burial: Woodlawn Cemetery[9]
  • Father: C. L. Franklin[10]
  • Mother: Barbara Siggers Franklin[11]
  • Spouse: Glynn Turman[12], Ted White[13]
  • Country of citizenship: United States[14]
  • Native language: English[15]
  • Ethnic group: African Americans[16]
  • Occupation: record producer[17], soul musician[18]
  • Field of work: music composing[19], soul[20], gospel music[21], singing[22], piano performance[23]
  • Educated at: Northern High School[24]
  • Award received: National Medal of Arts[25], Presidential Medal of Freedom[26], Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award[27], Grammy Legend Award[28], MusiCares Person of the Year[29], Gospel Music Hall of Fame[30], Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance[31], Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance[32], Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance[33], American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist[34], American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Album[35], Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals[36], Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female[37], Kennedy Center Honors[38]
  • Religion or worldview: Baptists[39]
  • Sex or gender: female[40]
  • Member of political party: Democratic Party[41]
  • Genre: soul[42], funk[43], gospel music[44], pop music[45], pop rock[46], jazz[47], rhythm and blues[48]

Product Details

The following facts are restated verbatim from public-domain and CC0 open-data sources — every line is independently verifiable against the named source's catalog.

MusicBrainz — CC0 open music encyclopedia

  • Type: Person[49]

  • Country: US[50]

  • Began / founded: 1942-03-25[51]

  • Ended / dissolved: 2018-08-16[52]

  • Genre(s): deep soul, gospel, jazz, quiet storm, r&b, soul, southern soul[53]

  • Community tags: aln-sh, deep soul, gospel, jazz, quiet storm, r&b, rhythm & blues, soul, southern soul[54]

  • MusicBrainz ID: 2f9ecbed-27be-40e6-abca-6de49d50299e[55]

Why It Matters

Aretha Franklin has Wikipedia articles in 29 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[56] She is known by 79 alternative names across languages and contexts.[57]

She has been cited as an influence by Céline Dion[58], a singer[59], b. 1968[60], of Canada[61], awarded the Knight of the Legion of Honour[62]; Amy Winehouse[63], a singer-songwriter[64], 1983–2011[65], of United Kingdom[66], awarded the Grammy Award for Best New Artist[67], specialised in music composing[68]; Sam Smith[69], a singer[70], b. 1992[71], of United Kingdom[72], awarded the Grammy Award for Record of the Year[73]; Faith Hill[74], a singer[75], b. 1967[76], of United States[77], awarded the American Music Award for Favorite Country Female Artist[78]; Meghan Trainor[79], a singer-songwriter[80], b. 1993[81], of United States[82], awarded the Grammy Award for Best New Artist[83], specialised in pop music[84]; and The Pointer Sisters[85], a musical group[86], founded in 1969[87].

FAQs

Where was Aretha Franklin born?

Aretha Franklin's place of birth was Memphis[1].

Where did Aretha Franklin die?

Aretha Franklin died in Detroit[2].

Who were Aretha Franklin's parents?

Aretha Franklin's father was C. L. Franklin[10]. Aretha Franklin's mother was Barbara Siggers Franklin[11].

Who was Aretha Franklin married to?

Aretha Franklin's spouses include Glynn Turman[12] and Ted White[13].

What did Aretha Franklin do for work?

Aretha Franklin worked as a singer[3], songwriter[4], activist[5], pianist[6], and composer[7].

Where did Aretha Franklin go to school?

Aretha Franklin was educated at Northern High School[24].

What awards did Aretha Franklin receive?

Honors received include National Medal of Arts[25], Presidential Medal of Freedom[26], Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award[27], and Grammy Legend Award[28].

Who did Aretha Franklin influence?

Aretha Franklin has been cited as an influence by Céline Dion[58], Amy Winehouse[63], Sam Smith[69], and Faith Hill[74].

Related Entities

Amy Winehouse Arista Records Atlantic Records Billie Holiday Céline Dion Columbia Records Dinah Washington Ella Fitzgerald Faith Hill George Michael Mahalia Jackson Meghan Trainor Museum of Modern Art Nat King Cole Nina Simone Sam Cooke Sam Smith Sarah Vaughan Sister Rosetta Tharpe Srbuk The Blues Brothers United States Warner Music Group

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [1] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  2. [2] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  3. [40] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  4. [10] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  5. [11] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  6. [12] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  7. [13] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  8. [14] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  9. [24] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  10. [19] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  11. [20] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  12. [21] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  13. [22] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  14. [23] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  15. [41] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  16. [15] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  17. [3] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  18. [4] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  19. [5] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  20. [6] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  21. [7] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  22. [17] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  23. [18] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  24. [9] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  25. [42] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  26. [43] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  27. [44] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  28. [45] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  29. [46] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  30. [47] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  31. [48] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  32. [39] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  33. [25] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  34. [26] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  35. [27] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  36. [28] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  37. [29] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  38. [30] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  39. [31] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  40. [32] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  41. [33] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  42. [34] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  43. [35] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  44. [36] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  45. [37] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  46. [38] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  47. [16] ↑ . wikidata.org.

Product details (FDA / USDA / NHTSA public-domain catalog data)

  1. [49] ↑ . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  2. [50] ↑ . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  3. [51] ↑ . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  4. [52] ↑ . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  5. [53] ↑ . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  6. [54] ↑ . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  7. [55] ↑ . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [58] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [63] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [69] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [74] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [79] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [85] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [59] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [60] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [61] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [62] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [64] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [65] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [66] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [67] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [68] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [70] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [71] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [72] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [73] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [75] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [76] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [77] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [78] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [80] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [81] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [82] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [83] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [84] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [86] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [87] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [8] ↑ . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [56] ↑ . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [57] ↑ . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Aretha Franklin. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/aretha-franklin
MLA “Aretha Franklin.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 16 Oct. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/aretha-franklin.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_aretha-franklin_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Aretha Franklin}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/aretha-franklin}, note = {Accessed: 2026-10-16}}
LLM prompt According to 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph (aggregator of Wikidata, Wikipedia, and authoritative open-data sources): Aretha Franklin — https://4ort.xyz/entity/aretha-franklin (retrieved 2026-10-16)

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Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 5w ago · Xezbeth · 2026-09-10 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Personality database profile id → 15610
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:1||1 */ Personality database profile id: 15610, Matched to [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/entry/251140041|Aretha Franklin (#251140041)]] in [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/catalog/7421|Perso"
  2. 5w ago · ならちゃん · 2026-09-05 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Allcinema person id → 58856
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:1||1 */ Allcinema person id: 58856, Matched to [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/entry/322013089|アレサ・フランクリン (#322013089)]] in [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/catalog/8395|Allcinema person]] #mi"
  3. 6w ago · Ontogon · 2026-08-30 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    P14837 → 175999
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:2||1 */ P14837: 175999"
  4. 6w ago · MsMorale · 2026-08-29 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Official shop url → https://store.warnermusic.com/collections/aretha-franklin
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:1||1 */ Official shop url: https://store.warnermusic.com/collections/aretha-franklin, Matched to [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/entry/313428222|Aretha Franklin (#313428222)]] in [[:t"
  5. 7w ago · TapuriaBot · 2026-08-22 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    P14750 → 44A4-7BF6-6418-04DE-1F11
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ Added [[wikipedia:mzn:آرتا فرانکلین]]"
  6. 11w ago · ~2026-39785-74 · 2026-07-24 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    National library of israel id (old) → —
    "/* wbremoveclaims-remove:1| */ National library of israel id (old): 002145021"
  7. 12w ago · Susmuffin · 2026-07-19 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Harper's tag → aretha-franklin
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:1||1 */ Harper's tag: aretha-franklin, Matched to [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/entry/289909610|aretha franklin (#289909610)]] in [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/catalog/7915|Harper'"
  8. 14w ago · Sabelöga · 2026-07-07 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Wikisimpsons article id → 185000
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:1||1 */ Wikisimpsons article id: 185000, Matched to [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/entry/296168838|Aretha Franklin (#296168838)]] in [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/catalog/8109|Wikisimpsons"
  9. 16w ago · Gewild · 2026-06-22 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Cinemarx person id (archived) → aretha-franklin, 7175
    "/* wbeditentity-update-languages-short:0||mul */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/37930|batch #37930]]: WD Lmul composer"
  10. 20w ago · KrBot bot · 2026-05-24 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Occupation → singer, songwriter, activist +4
    "/* wbsetclaimvalue:1| */ Occupation: composer, см. / see [[Template:Autofix|autofix]] на / on [[Property talk:P106]]"
  11. 21w ago · ならちゃん · 2026-05-16 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Official website → https://www.arethafranklin.net/
    Native language → English
    Genre → soul, funk, gospel music +4
    Member of political party → Democratic Party
    + 61 other properties edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/31869|batch #31869]]"
Live feed via Wikidata EventStreams. New edits appear within minutes of being made on Wikidata.