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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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Aretha Franklin

Summary

Aretha Franklin is a human[1]. She was born in Memphis[2]. She passed away in Detroit[3]. She worked as a singer[4], songwriter[5], activist[6], pianist[7], and composer[8]. She ranks in the top 0.14% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (49,196 views/month, #1,367 of 1,000,298).[9]

Key Facts

  • Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis[2].
  • Aretha Franklin passed away in Detroit[3].
  • Aretha Franklin is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery[10].
  • Aretha Franklin's father was C. L. Franklin[11].
  • Aretha Franklin's mother was Barbara Siggers Franklin[12].
  • Aretha Franklin was married to Glynn Turman[13].
  • Aretha Franklin was married to Ted White[14].
  • Aretha Franklin held citizenship in United States[15].
  • English was Aretha Franklin's native language[16].
  • Aretha Franklin is identified as part of the African Americans ethnic group[17].
  • Aretha Franklin worked as a singer[4].
  • Aretha Franklin's professions included songwriter[5].
  • Aretha Franklin worked as an activist[6].
  • Aretha Franklin worked as a pianist[7].
  • Aretha Franklin's professions included composer[8].
  • Aretha Franklin's professions included record producer[18].
  • Aretha Franklin's field of work was music composing[19].
  • Aretha Franklin's field of work was soul[20].
  • Aretha Franklin's field of work was gospel music[21].
  • Aretha Franklin's field of work was singing[22].
  • Aretha Franklin's field of work was piano performance[23].
  • Aretha Franklin was educated at Northern High School[24].
  • Aretha Franklin received the National Medal of Arts[25].
  • Aretha Franklin received the Presidential Medal of Freedom[26].
  • Aretha Franklin received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award[27].

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[28]

  • Country: US[29]

  • Began / founded: 1942-03-25[30]

  • Ended / dissolved: 2018-08-16[31]

  • Genre(s): deep soul, gospel, jazz, quiet storm, r&b, soul, southern soul[32]

  • Community tags: aln-sh, deep soul, gospel, jazz, quiet storm, r&b, rhythm & blues, soul, southern soul[33]

  • MusicBrainz ID: 2f9ecbed-27be-40e6-abca-6de49d50299e[34]

Body

Origins and Family

Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis[2]. Her father was C. L. Franklin[11]. Her mother was Barbara Siggers Franklin[12]. She is identified as part of the African Americans ethnic group[17]. English was her native language[16].

Education

Aretha Franklin's education included a stint at Northern High School[24].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include singer[4], songwriter[5], activist[6], pianist[7], composer[8], and record producer[18]. Fields of work include music composing[19], a type of arts[35]; soul[20], a music genre[36], founded in 1955[37]; gospel music[21], a music genre[38], founded in 1600[39]; singing[22], a type of activity[40]; and piano performance[23], a field of study[41].

Recognition

Awards received include National Medal of Arts[25], a medallion[42], in United States[43], founded in 1984[44]; Presidential Medal of Freedom[26], an award[45], in United States[46], founded in 1963[47]; Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award[27], a lifetime achievement award[48], in United States[49], founded in 1962[50]; Grammy Legend Award[51], a class of music award[52], in United States[53], founded in 1990[54]; MusiCares Person of the Year[55], a music award[56], in United States[57], founded in 1991[58]; and Gospel Music Hall of Fame[59], an award[60], in United States[61], founded in 1971[62].

Personal Life

Spouses include Glynn Turman[13], an actor[63], b. 1947[64], of United States[65], awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series[66] and Ted White[14], 1931–2020[67], of United States[68]. Aretha Franklin's religion is recorded as Baptists[69]. She was affiliated with the Democratic Party[70].

Death and Burial

Aretha Franklin died in Detroit[3]. She is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery[10].

Why It Matters

Aretha Franklin ranks in the top 0.14% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (49,196 views/month, #1,367 of 1,000,298).[9] She has Wikipedia articles in 29 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[71] She is known by 79 alternative names across languages and contexts.[72]

She has been cited as an influence by Céline Dion[73], a singer[74], b. 1968[75], of Canada[76], awarded the Knight of the Legion of Honour[77]; Amy Winehouse[78], a singer-songwriter[79], 1983–2011[80], of United Kingdom[81], awarded the Grammy Award for Best New Artist[82], specialised in music composing[83]; Sam Smith[84], a singer[85], b. 1992[86], of United Kingdom[87], awarded the Grammy Award for Record of the Year[88]; Faith Hill[89], a singer[90], b. 1967[91], of United States[92], awarded the American Music Award for Favorite Country Female Artist[93]; Meghan Trainor[94], a singer-songwriter[95], b. 1993[96], of United States[97], awarded the Grammy Award for Best New Artist[98], specialised in pop music[99]; and The Pointer Sisters[100], a musical group[101], founded in 1969[102].

FAQs

Where was Aretha Franklin born?

Born in Memphis[2], Aretha Franklin…

Where did Aretha Franklin die?

Aretha Franklin died in Detroit[3].

Who were Aretha Franklin's parents?

Aretha Franklin's father was C. L. Franklin[11]. Aretha Franklin's mother was Barbara Siggers Franklin[12].

Who was Aretha Franklin married to?

Aretha Franklin's spouses include Glynn Turman[13] and Ted White[14].

What did Aretha Franklin do for work?

Aretha Franklin worked as singer[4], songwriter[5], activist[6], pianist[7], and composer[8].

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[51].

Who did Aretha Franklin influence?

Aretha Franklin has been cited as an influence by Céline Dion[73], Amy Winehouse[78], Sam Smith[84], and Faith Hill[89].

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. [2] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  2. [3] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  3. [11] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  4. [12] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  5. [13] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  6. [14] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  7. [15] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  8. [24] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  9. [19] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  10. [20] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  11. [21] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  12. [22] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  13. [23] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  14. [70] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  15. [16] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  16. [4] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  17. [5] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  18. [6] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  19. [7] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  20. [8] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  21. [18] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  22. [10] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  23. [69] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  24. [25] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  25. [26] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  26. [27] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  27. [51] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  28. [55] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  29. [59] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  30. [17] ↑ . wikidata.org.

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

  1. [28] ↑ . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  2. [29] ↑ . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  3. [30] ↑ . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  4. [31] ↑ . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  5. [32] ↑ . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  6. [33] ↑ . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  7. [34] ↑ . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [73] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [78] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [84] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [89] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [94] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [100] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [63] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [64] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [65] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [66] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [67] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [68] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [35] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
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  9. [37] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [38] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [39] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [40] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [41] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [42] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [43] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [44] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [45] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [46] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [47] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [48] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [49] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [50] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [52] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [53] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [54] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  26. [56] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  27. [57] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  28. [58] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  29. [60] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  30. [61] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  31. [62] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  32. [74] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  33. [75] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  34. [76] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  35. [77] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  36. [79] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  37. [80] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  38. [81] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  39. [82] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  40. [83] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  41. [85] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  42. [86] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  43. [87] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  44. [88] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  45. [90] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  46. [91] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  47. [92] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  48. [93] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  49. [95] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
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  54. [101] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  55. [102] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [9] ↑ . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [71] ↑ . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [72] ↑ . 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 1, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/aretha-franklin
MLA “Aretha Franklin.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 1 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: 2026-10-01}}
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 2026-10-01)

Canonical URL: https://4ort.xyz/entity/aretha-franklin · Last refreshed:

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. 23d ago · Xezbeth · 2026-09-10 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Personality database profile id → 15610
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:1||1 */ [[Property:P10757]]: 15610, Matched to [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/entry/251140041|Aretha Franklin (#251140041)]] in [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/catalog/7421|Personality Datab"
  2. 28d ago · ならちゃん · 2026-09-05 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Allcinema person id → 58856
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:1||1 */ [[Property:P7214]]: 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]] #mix"
  3. 4w ago · Ontogon · 2026-08-30 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    P14837 → 175999
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:2||1 */ [[Property:P14837]]: 175999"
  4. 5w ago · MsMorale · 2026-08-29 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Official shop url → https://store.warnermusic.com/collections/aretha-franklin
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:1||1 */ [[Property:P10225]]: https://store.warnermusic.com/collections/aretha-franklin, Matched to [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/entry/313428222|Aretha Franklin (#313428222)]] in [[:t"
  5. 5w ago · TapuriaBot · 2026-08-22 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    P14750 → 44A4-7BF6-6418-04DE-1F11
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ Added [[wikipedia:mzn:آرتا فرانکلین]]"
  6. 10w ago · ~2026-39785-74 · 2026-07-24 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    National library of israel id (old) → —
    "/* wbremoveclaims-remove:1| */ [[Property:P949]]: 002145021"
  7. 10w ago · Susmuffin · 2026-07-19 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Harper's tag → aretha-franklin
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:1||1 */ [[Property:P13772]]: aretha-franklin, Matched to [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/entry/289909610|aretha franklin (#289909610)]] in [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/catalog/7915|Harper'"
  8. 12w ago · Sabelöga · 2026-07-07 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Wikisimpsons article id → 185000
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:1||1 */ [[Property:P10291]]: 185000, Matched to [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/entry/296168838|Aretha Franklin (#296168838)]] in [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/catalog/8109|Wikisimpsons]] #"
  9. 14w 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. 18w ago · KrBot bot · 2026-05-24 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Occupation → singer, songwriter, activist +4
    "/* wbsetclaimvalue:1| */ [[Property:P106]]: [[Q36834]], см. / see [[Template:Autofix|autofix]] на / on [[Property talk:P106]]"
  11. 20w 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.