Aretha Franklin: 5 Little Known Facts About The Queen of Soul

On Thursday, August 16, 2018, the world lost one of its brightest stars in the music industry, Aretha Franklin. She was revered as the Queen of Soul and a woman whose voice could make the rafters shake. Her music has spanned several generations and her music career started when she was barely a teenager. I honestly didn’t believe it when I heard the news that she passed. Her attitude and personality was so strong, I thought it would be yet another hurdle she would have the victory over. Although she is gone physically, her legacy will live on forever. Here are 5 little known facts you may have missed about Aretha Franklin. 

1. Stevie Wonder was producing some new music for her. In fact, he specifically spoke about a song they were working on together called, “The Future”. Stevie Wonder wrote the song, but they were planning on singing it together. 
2. She has the distinct honor of being the first woman inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1987. 
3. She performed at three US presidential inaugurations (for Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter). Donald Trump could have been the fourth, but it has been reported that Aretha Franklin turned down the invitation. 
4. She saved the 1998 Grammy Awards from being a huge disaster. She filled in as a last minute stand in for an ailing Luciano Pavarotti…..during the ceremony. It’s an even more amazing back story for one of her most critically acclaimed performances. 
5. Speaking of the Grammys, she won the first eight instances of the Best R & B Female Performance award. That category quickly became dubbed as the Aretha Franklin award. 

Her vivacious personality, unmistakable voice and uncanny ability to resonate with her fans makes her a true queen. Here’s a look back at some of her biggest moments.