here today, i thought about how much my family and i loved our mother, our grandmother, our auntie, the matriarch and the pillar of the franklin family. i asked myself, how do you say good-bye to someone that you just love so much? someone who has been with you for all of your adult life. someone who took you under their wings and loved you like a son after the death of your parents. someone who was there for you through the good times and the bad times. and someone who could make you smile with a simple hello. over the past few months, i spent a lot of time traveling back and forth from atlanta to detroit to help take care of my
president barack obama. over the course of her career, franklin has supported a large number of charities and advocacy organizations, including the naacp, special olympics, feeding america, the rain forest foundation, and the barbara davis center for childhood diabetes. aretha s artistry has also earned her a number of academic distinctions. among them are honorary degrees from both harvard university and new york university. aretha transitioned this life on thursday, august 16th, 2018, in detroit, michigan, surrounded by her friends and family. those who are commending her loving spirit into the assurance of her eternal rest are her loved ones who preceded her. her parents, clarence and barbara, her sisters carolyn franklin and irma franklin, her brothers cecil franklin and
the album aretha in 1961. in 1966, aretha signed with atlantic records. in 1967, the album i never loved a man the way i love you was released. of this period, the all-music guide wrote, franklin had become one of the biggest international recording stars in all of pop. in 1968, dr. martin luther king jr. himself presented her with a special award for inspiring so many americans with her music. franklin s success continued throughout the 70s, and as she branched out to work with notable producers such as curtis mayfield and quincy jones. her string of top charting hits during the decade included call me, don t play that song for me, spanish harlem, bridge