Aretha Franklin was an African-American who as a child knew that she had a lot to offer in music. She took her chances and performed stage after stage. Shortly, the world got to know her, was inducted into different Halls of Fame, had a voice that was described as a natural resource, became famous as the Queen of Soul and captivated people with songs such as You Made Me Love You, A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel Like) and I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You). With all of these put in her bag of fame, she still never forget to fight for people’s rights as an activist. She also landed a place close to Martin Luther King Jr. whom she knew years before her fame, sang together and respected his movements. There is, however, more to her relationship with MLK. Here’s all to know.
Her Father Was a Friend to Martin Luther King and Led the First Presentation of “I Have a Dream” Speech
She was born Aretha Louise Franklin on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America. She was born to Clarence LaVaughn “C. L.” Franklin, a Baptist minister and his wife Barbara Siggers.
Her father, C. L. Franklin was not only a minister but also a civil rights activist who was a friend and associate of Martin Luther King Jr. – one of the greatest activists of all time. Aretha’s father contributed towards many movements of Luther King including a freedom march down Woodward Avenue in Detroit in 1963.
In addition to their relationship, Dr. King and his relationship with Aretha’s father was beyond activism. Both men were ministers of Baptist Church.
Aretha Sang With Dr. King on Gospel Tours While She Was Growing
Her relationship with King grew when he would at many times visit her family. Her singing talent which started in her early years would lead to her performing in church. By the time she was about 16 years old, she had performed with Martin Luther King Jr. on a tour.
Prior to that, her father had started managing her when she was 12 years old. She further attended many tours and recorded songs with the New Bethel Baptist Church.
In later years, she recorded songs and albums that won her the title of one of the greatest women in music as well as a legend. Some of her albums include:
- Aretha: With The Ray Bryant Combo (1961)
- Soul Sister (1966)
- I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967)
- Young, Gifted & Black (1972)
- Let me in Your Life (1974)
- Sweet Passion (1977)
- Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love (2011)
- Aretha Franklin the Great Diva Classics (2014)
Aretha Franklin Influenced Many of Martin Luther King’s Movements
Being raised by an activist and among activists in Detroit, Aretha ended up becoming one. She further used her music as another channel to continue with the movement in a completely different way.
According to reports, Franklin helped King’s movements and other people involved with payroll a number of times. Also, she added this with about 11 concerts for free at a point when gas was put in MLK’s movement vans. She reportedly hosted many of the activists at her home and still raised funds for the campaign of Jesse Jackson – an activist, politician and Baptist minister.
MLK Presented Her an Award Shortly Before He Passed Away
Aretha Franklin held a homecoming concert in Detroit to an audience of 12,000. The concert was attended by many distinguished, including Martin Luther King. He handed her a special award from the Southern Christian Leadership. At that time King was suffering from laryngitis.
Also, on that day, February 16 was named Aretha Franklin Day. The memory was still fresh when MLK was killed in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. He died in the same town where Aretha was born.
Her father and Martin Luther King Jr. Died in a Similar Way
MLK went to Memphis, Tennessee in solidarity with the black sanitary public workers who were on strike demanding higher wages. He had delivered his famous I’ve Been to the Mountaintop address of April 3 and a day later, he was shot by James Earl Ray.
He was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital but died barely an hour after the shooting on 4 April 1968 at the age of 39.
Franklin, Aretha’s father and King’s friend although lived about 12 years after the assassination of Luther King, was also shot. Unlike King, however, Franklin did not die the same day but remained in a coma for the next 5 years. He died on July 27, 1984, at the age of 69.
Aretha Franklin Sang At Luther King’s Memorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FdFrtNacgU
Following the death of Martin Luther King, Aretha Franklin sang one of Luther King’s favourite songs, Precious Lord, Take My Hand. The title of the song according to eyewitnesses were the last words he said at the balcony before his assassination – “Ben, make sure you play Take My Hand, Precious Lord in the meeting tonight. Play it real pretty.”
The singing will not be the last of her performances in some notable events in the history of America’s black people. She also performed at Barack Obama’s inauguration. She sang My Country, Tis of Thee only minutes before the first and only America’s black president was sworn in on January 20, 2009.
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She Continued to Have a Good Relationship With MLK’s Family After His Demise
Although he was no more, Aretha Franklin did not forget the family of the man she respected while he was alive and still did after his death. She was reportedly there for the family a lot of times and had a stronger relationship with King’s widowed wife, Coretta Scott.
Franklin also worked hard with the family to continue with the legacy he had left as well as contributed towards establishing the King Holiday.
Aretha Franklin Died 50 Years After Martin Luther King Jr.
Aretha lived many years, had been on many stages and made hits after hits after the assassination of King Jr. She lived 50 years after the death of King and died in Detroit, Michigan on August 16, 2018, at the age of 76 following a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour (pNET).
Before her death, she had 4 sons – Clarence Franklin (after her father), Edward Derone Franklin, Ted White Jr., and Kecalf Cunningham. She was also married twice to Ted White and to actor Glynn Turman.
The music legend also attracted many awards over the course of her time including:
- 18 Grammy Awards
- 3 Grammy Special Awards
- 6 American Music Awards
- 3 NAACP Image Awards
- Was named a Music Icon by TV Land Awards (2012)
- Inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame star (1981)
- Became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1987)
- She was the first youngest woman to receive the John F. Kennedy Center Honours (1994).
