Aretha Franklin announced that it’s time for her to retire from recording and touring; she’s battled a serious health scare and is now 75 years old. Aretha does tell her fans that for special events, she’ll gladly make a guest appearance and briefly perform.
Aretha grew up in her father’s choir and is a fan of the natural sound. In other words, she never was a fan of how a singer’s voice can be manipulated in a studio. Did you know that she’s the very first solo female to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Yup, she broke that ceiling in 1987. The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards did the honors at the ceremony.
Aretha has been part of three Inauguration ceremonies; Jimmy Carter, both Bill Clinton’s event, and of course Barack Obama’s. In case you thought Aretha ever had it easy, she gave birth to her first child at 14 years of age and still became a music legend!
—
Photo credit: Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com