Talent And Tragedy
Aretha Franklin entered this world with a gift. Her voice had the power to move millions, but the price for a voice that soulful proved deep. Behind the powerful music hid a life full of trials and tribulations. Although beloved by countless fans worldwide, Aretha struggled to hold onto personal love, and in the end, she left behind a legacy darker than her music.
1. She Entered A House Divided
Aretha entered into a house already divided. The second marriage for both of her parents, trouble already lurked in the corners of her family home. Her father, Clarence LeVaughn “CL” Franklin, was a preacher with a powerful voice. However, CL forgot how to practice the very commandments that he preached.
Atlantic Records (Life time: Published before 1978 without a copyright notice), Wikimedia Commons
2. Her Mother Left Her Behind
CL struggled to stay faithful to just one woman. Finally, Aretha’s mother, Barbara, had had enough. She left CL, along with most of her children. Together, Barbara and CL had four children, including Aretha. When Barbara left, she took only her son from a previous marriage, leaving Aretha with only her father’s questionable guidance.
Atlantic Records, Wikimedia Commons
3. She Was Surrounded By Powerful People
CL Franklin was a powerful man. He filled Aretha’s life with soul—literally. A famous circuit preacher, CL had connections to people like Quincy Jones, Mahalia Jackson, and even Martin Luther King Jr. However, the quality of a man’s friends did not always indicate the quality of the man himself. CL may have been powerful, but he was far from moral.
Los Angeles Times, Wikimedia Commons
4. Her Father Made Mistakes
Along with her full siblings, Aretha had two half-siblings—her half-brother via her mother, and her half-sister, Carol Ellan Kelley, through her father. It’s unclear what relationship Aretha had with her half-sister, but no one could blame Kelley for having no interest in her father. CL was 25 when she was born. Her mother was 12.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
5. She Was Left To Her Father’s Mercy
Aretha’s mother didn’t abandon her completely. Her children spent summers with her, and she visited often. Unfortunately, Barbara’s time on this earth was cut short by a heart attack days before Aretha’s 10th birthday. Motherless, Aretha only had her father to guide her, a fate that proved destined for failure.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
6. She Made An Early Mistake
Aretha Franklin gave birth to her first son, Clarence LaVaughn Franklin, when she was only 12 years old. Still a child, Aretha’s life changed forever. She stepped over a threshold from child to woman far too soon. Making matters worse, Aretha wasn’t just any child: she was a talented one, born to be something “special”.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
7. She Couldn’t Handle It
At 12 years old, Aretha wasn’t ready to be a mother. She was barely ready to be a singer, though on top of birthing a child, her father also had her traveling and performing during his “gospel caravan” tours. Aretha gave birth to Clarence in January 1955. A year later, she released her first single. With such a busy life, where did Aretha’s son fit in?
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
8. She Wanted To Be A Kid
The task of raising Clarence appeared to fall primarily on the shoulders of her sister, Erma, and her grandmother. Aretha was a child—in her words, “I still wanted to get out and hang out with my friends”. Thankfully, the women in Aretha’s life stepped up. However, they ended up getting more than they bargained for in the end.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
9. She Did It Again
Aretha gave birth to another son, Edward Derone Franklin, at the age of 15. Aretha named her second son after his father, Edward Jordan, whom she later revealed also fathered Clarence. Jordan played no role in either child’s life, and yet again, Aretha’s family stepped up to fill her absence. While her music career soared, true romance remained out of reach, not that it stopped Aretha from trying.
Screenshot from Amazing Grace, Neon
10. She Moved In Big Circles
As Aretha’s music career began to take off, seeing modest success in the early 60s, she began to gain more and more access to the music world, spending more and more time in clubs and bars. The release of her first album led her to the 20 Grand Club in Detroit and the one man she shouldn’t have bothered with.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
11. Her Friends Introduced Her
While at the 20 Grand, fellow singer Della Reese introduced Aretha to a young man, Ted White. At the time, White was a trickster, the sort of man who had no real job but always had one scheme or another tucked up his sleeves. White also knew Aretha’s sister, Erma, and he wasn’t going to waste the opportunity before him.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
12. Her Sister Played A Hand
Erma informed Aretha that White “considered [Aretha] among the most beautiful women in the world”. Everyone else could see White for what he was: a man of no real substance. Perhaps Erma couldn’t see that when she put the bug in her sister’s ear, or maybe Erma just knew what everyone else knew: Aretha couldn’t resist trouble.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
13. She Craved Trouble
Up to this point, Aretha’s life had lacked stability. She’d grown up in a broken home before being immediately flung into the high-rolling world of music. It surprised no one that, as singer Mavis Staples said, “She fooled around and got with a man like Ted White, but that’s the kind of dude Aretha likes, the dude that flies fancy”. However, White did surprise one member of the Franklin family.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
14. Her Friends Saw The Truth
Aretha became enamored with White. However, those around her loathed him. Producer Harvey Fuqua, claimed, “Anyone who didn’t see Ted White as a straight-up pimp had to be deaf, dumb, and blind”, calling White real slick for capturing Aretha. However, only one man hated White above all others.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
15. Her Father Was A Problem
CL Franklin disliked Ted White from the moment that he saw him. Aretha later stated that her father proved surprisingly supportive of her two previous pregnancies, never being “judgmental, narrow or scolding”. However, Aretha’s romance with White proved to be an entirely different matter. Perhaps it took one to know one, right?
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
16. She Did What She Wanted
Despite the opposition around her, Aretha stuck to her guns. Only six months after meeting, Aretha married White. She was 19, and White was 30. Despite marrying, CL “couldn’t stand Ted” and remained “bitterly opposed to the whole deal”—a rather rich stance to take considering CL’s own history with young women. Unfortunately for Aretha, it didn’t take long for others’ fears to prove founded.
Screenshot from Amazing Grace, Neon
17. She Kept Her Secrets
Both during and after her marriage to White, Aretha remained extremely close-lipped about the subject. Even in her own biography, all she wrote was that she never realized how deep she’d gotten in, and was only willing to call White a “take-charge kind of guy”. White made this worse by taking charge of every aspect of Aretha’s life.
18. Her Husband Took Charge
One of the biggest blackmarks against White, initially, was the fact that he didn’t just become Aretha’s husband. He was also her manager, controlling her career with a firm hand. In January 1967, several years into their marriage, White and Aretha travelled to FAME Studios in Alabama to record, and things quickly got out of hand.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
19. She Tried Something Different
Aretha had travelled to Alabama to record with the famed Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. At the time, they were one of the most famous record house bands and provided a lot of power to any piece of music. However, Aretha’s recording didn’t get very far before White involved himself and threw everything off the rails.
InSapphoWeTrust, Wikimedia Commons
20. Her Husband Ruined Everything
Aretha was there to record “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)”. However, things didn’t go quite to plan. Aretha only got one day of recording in the FAME studios before White jumped in, starting a fight with trumpeter Ken Laxton, and things only unravelled from there.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
21. Her Husband Was The Problem
Details of White and Laxton’s fight are scarce. It remains just another one of the moments in Aretha’s life that she attempted to keep quiet, glossing over the negative to present a more desirable image. However, the studio owner, Rick Hall, also ended up involved, and it brought an abrupt end to the recording sessions. This was just the start; Aretha could only hide her trauma for so long.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
22. Her Story Became Big News
The following year, Aretha’s troubles began to come to light. Time magazine plastered Aretha’s troubles all over their cover. Objectively, the article was about Aretha’s newest album, Aretha Now. However, the story dove into where the source of her “own pain, sorrow, and resilience” came from, and White found himself at the center of it.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
23. She Couldn’t Hide From Friends
The article included a description of an incident that had happened at Atlanta’s Regency Hyatt House Hotel. Time claimed that White had “roughed [Aretha] up in public” while at that location. While they spared the audience the dirty details, they did claim that this “was not the first such incident”. While Aretha never spoke further on the topic, her friends had an idea of what happened behind closed doors.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
24. She Wasn’t Happy
Aretha and fellow gospel legend Mahalia Jackson’s relationship stretched all the way back to Aretha’s youth. Following the passing of Aretha’s mother, Jackson often stepped up to fill that void in Aretha’s life. When discussing White and Aretha’s marriage, Jackson said, “I don’t think she’s happy. Somebody else is making her sing the blues”. While Jackson skirted around the issue, other friends just came out and said the truth.
Dave Brinkman (ANEFO), Wikimedia Commons
25. Her Husband Wasn’t Enough
Time magazine was not the only one to report on the status of Aretha’s marriage over the years. At one point, fellow pianist Teddy Harris spoke out on the issue. “Aretha is the kind of girl you’ve got to love her hard. She requires a lot of attention, and she didn’t get that from Ted”. That wasn’t the end of Harris’s words about White.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
26. She Needed Something More
Harris doubled down on his statement, going as far as to say,” Ted was into something else. He was kind of abusive”. Harris remains one of the few, if not the only, people to publicly declare what everyone suspected went on behind closed doors. However, Harris’s words hinted at something else, too. After all, all relationships are a two-way street.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
27. She Had Her Problems Too
No woman does anything to deserve an abusive man, and Aretha was no exception. However, her childhood had been difficult, and oit left scars that few could see. These scars, combined with the strain her marriage to White surely put on her, led to Aretha lashing out.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
28. She Was A Tiger
Throughout her life, Aretha struggled with alcohol. As her emotional well-being deteriorated, her dependency on drink increased, leading to more than a few problems. According to fellow musician Rod Hicks, “I’ll tell you something about Ted White... He didn’t have no pussycat. He had a tiger on his hands when that girl got drunk”. Boy, did Hicks’ analysis of Aretha prove right.
29. She Got Caught
During her marriage, Aretha got in just as much trouble as White did. While in Detroit, Aretha got tangled up with the police on several occasions. In 1968, her reckless driving resulted in two cars being run off the road, and a charge for Aretha. Sadly, that wasn’t the end of it.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
30. She Made Things Worse
Aretha got in trouble again while in Michigan. Yet again, the authorities pulled Aretha over for a traffic infringement, except this time, things got out of hand. Allegedly, Aretha decided to try to take a swipe at the officers, leading to a disorderly conduct charge. All closest to Aretha could clearly see that she was quickly spiralling out of control.
Columbia Records, Wikimedia Commons
31. She Was On The Ledge
Carolyn, her sister, spoke for her loved ones in one of Aretha’s biographies, claiming, “She was drinking so much, we thought she was on the verge of a breakdown”. It seemed only a matter of time before Aretha did something she couldn’t take back. However, in the end it was White, not Aretha, who took things too far.
32. Her Husband Escalated Things
As with their entire marriage, White’s final offense occurred behind closed doors, and the few who knew what happened refused to ever speak about it. However, no one could hide the fact that White found himself on the authorities’ radar, and once the public knew about that, people inevitably started talking.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
33. She Had Enough
The authorities got involved when White supposedly shot someone in the groin within their home. White seemed not to have faced any charges for this action in the end. However, it likely proved to be the final straw for Aretha. Not long after this incident, she finally said that enough was enough.
Screenshot from Amazing Grace, Neon
34. She Had People To Think Of
Aretha and White separated in 1968 after seven years of tumultuous marriage. A year later, they officially divorced, severing all ties with each other once and for all. However, their marriage wasn’t without casualties. In 1964, Aretha gave birth to her third son, Theodore White Jr. So, now that the marriage ended, what would they do about their son?
Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, Wikimedia Commons
35. She Left Another Behind
Aretha already had a history of being hands-off in her parenting style. Her first two sons spent most of their childhood raised by proxies, and in the end, so did Ted Jr. After the divorce, White’s family took in their grandson, raising him while Aretha visited during holidays and weekends. Set adrift once more, Aretha needed someone else to anchor her down.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
36. Her Career Continued To Bloom
Aretha’s marriage fell apart during the height of her career. In the fall of 1969, as she finalized her divorce from White, Aretha headed to Europe for a tour. Along with her came her band and her manager, Ken Cunningham. Cunningham proved to be a huge support for Aretha, not just musically but emotionally.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
37. She Found What She Needed
Whether the relationship proved pleasant or difficult, Aretha kept her business to herself. That means few sources report much on Cunningham. However, for once, it seemed Aretha had finally chosen well for herself. Unlike her past relationships, Cunningham brought something to Aretha’s life that she desperately needed.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
38. She Changed Her Habits
Cunningham seemed to finally give Aretha stability. Those who knew Aretha during her relationship with Cunningham agree that he provided her with a positive influence. For the first time, perhaps ever, someone encouraged Aretha to take care of herself. She stopped drinking and ate healthier. It seemed fate intended to tie them together, regardless of their own intentions.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
39. She Tied Herself To Him
Aretha discovered her pregnancy while recording her album This Girl’s in Love With You. In March 1970, she gave birth to her fourth and final son, Kecalf Cunningham. Aretha united herself and Cunningham together forever, quite literally, through their son. His name is born of their shared initials (KEC and ALF). However, Aretha feared taking the next step.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
40. She Couldn’t Go Through With It
White left his mark on Aretha, tainting the rest of her life even after she’d gotten rid of him. Despite feeling a deep connection to Cunningham, she feared another marriage. This might have resulted in the inevitable split between herself and Cunningham. Cunningham, perhaps, couldn’t wait for Aretha to be ready, if she ever would be again.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
41. She Got A Second Chance
No one knows for sure what Aretha missed out on with Cunningham. However, when actor Glynn Turman stepped into her life in 1977, Aretha saw the opportunity to correct old mistakes. Her marriage to White had been a disaster from beginning to end, and fear ruined her chances with Cunningham. Turman offered her the opportunity for redemption.
Lisa Fulton, Wikimedia Commons
42. She Had The Perfect Image
In Turman, Aretha found the perfect match, literally. Aretha spent her entire life weaving the story of a fairytale. In Turman, she finally found that. The media loved the image: the musical goddess married to the dashing actor. However, like everything else in Aretha’s life, the picture-perfect image hid a darker truth.
eternalconceptspr, Wikimedia Commons
43. She Couldn’t Be What He Needed
In the late 70s and early 80s, Aretha’s career took a downward turn. During her marriage to Turman, she threw herself into reviving it. That, combined with the fact that Aretha would always be the bigger name, potentially wore on Turman. He wanted his wife to be a woman Aretha could never be. Their marriage ended only four years after it started, leaving Aretha with no one to hold her hand when she struggled.
Screenshot from Amazing Grace, Neon
44. She Didn’t Care For Herself
Aretha struggled with her health for most of her life. A chronic smoker and drinker, her biggest battle remained her weight. Just as many women before and after her, public perception likely resulted in her struggle, constantly pushing her to fit one mold for beauty. Unsurprisingly, she pushed herself.
Screenshot from Respect, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
45. She Took The Easy Route
A crash diet allowed Aretha to “trim the fat” for the majority of the 1970s. Of course, that couldn’t last. As we know now, fad diets never do. By the 1990s, her chronic smoking had begun to affect her singing voice; Aretha knew she needed to do something, but even that came at a cost.
Cecilio Ricardo, U.S. Air Force, Wikimedia Commons
46. She Had Bigger Problems
Once Aretha gave up smoking, her weight began to rise again. However, as Aretha neared the close of her life, weight proved to be the least of her problems. In 2010, Aretha abruptly cancelled several of her concerts—something was very wrong.
Joe Ortuzar, Wikimedia Commons
47. She Couldn’t Control It
During the time that Aretha was meant to be singing, she had a brain tumor removed. At the time, the doctors claimed to have given her another 15–20 years of her life. However, only three years later, fans again found Aretha canceling concerts under mysterious circumstances.
Ryan Arrowsmith, Wikimedia Commons
48. She Tried To Keep Going
The mysterious illness led to Aretha staying out of the limelight for the majority of 2013. By mid-2014, Aretha came back with a vengeance, touring on and off until 2017. Aretha attempted to tour in 2018 as well, but never got the chance.
49. She Had A Lot Of Troubles
Between her health struggles and her romantic struggles, Aretha Franklin lived a life full of turbulent times. Yet, few recall these moments when thinking of her. Aretha’s long-time producer, Jerry Wexler, told Vanity Fair, “Aretha has gone through a lot of trouble in her life. A lot of trouble. And she doesn’t want any reference to it”. A wish she got, in the end.
50. She Was The Real Deal
When Aretha passed in 2018, her friends and family surrounded her. The mysterious cause of her death was later revealed to be pancreatic cancer. In the outpouring of honors that followed, the world came to one conclusion: Aretha Franklin embodied true talent, and with her passing, the world lost something beautiful. Hopefully, now, she has finally found peace.
The White House from Washington, DC, Wikimedia Commons
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