3.+Personal+Life

Aretha was born March 25, 1942 in Memphis Tennessee. Aretha and her family had moved to Detroit at the age of 2. Aretha's father C.L. Franklin was known as a very high church official. Aretha was one out of 5 children that her parents produced. Her parents divorced when she was only six and was forced to live with her grandmother whose name was Rachel but they all called her big momma. Aretha taught herself how to play the piano. At the age of 13 she had given birth to her first son Clarence. When she was 14 she had her first album recorded with JVB/Battle records who had produced some of her father's stuff for the church. The album was called [|Songs of Faith] and was produced in 1956. At the age of 15 she gave birth to her second son who she named Edward. To this day she has never figured ot who either of the fathers where to both of her sons. Aretha had been offered a couple of recording labels but were all messed up due to her pregnancies. Aretha had had her grandmother watch over her two kids as she tried to persue her career as a singer. Aretha had been offered a couple recording contracts that were messed up and decided to sign with [|Columbia Records] in 1960. She had started to push away the gospel type music and started to settle for some jazz music. Some of her songs that brought her up in her career as a singer were "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody" which was set at number 37 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in 1961, and the Top 10 R&B hits, "Today I Sing The Blues", "Won't Be Long" and "Operation Heartbreak." After six years with Columbia Records she wanted something that was more her and decided to sign with [|Atlantic Records]. Aretha began to date a guy name Ted White who her father did not like. They meet because he was her road manager. The weird part about the both of them is that they both have the same birthday which is March 25, 1942. In 1961, while they were doing one of there tours they decided to get married between one of the performances. She then bought a house in northwest Detroit where she spent 10 years of her life. She then had her third son in 1964 whose name was Ted White Jr. Five years after the birth of there son they divorced. In 1969 she married Ken Cunningham for seven years. Aretha and her husband decided to move from Detroit to New York City. She then had her fourth son Kecalf which was born March 28, 1970. In 1978 she then got married to an actor by the name of Glynn Turman. After they got married they went to their home in Encino, California. In 1982 she had moved back to Detroit. Two years later her and Glynn divorced.
 * Zach Mignone **