11 Things You May Not Know About Aretha Franklin

Another angel has gone on to Glory. Multi Grammy award-winning singer Aretha Franklin passed away this morning after battling advanced pancreatic cancer. The Queen Of Soul was surrounded by all of her loved ones as she transitioned from this life to the next.

Franklin was obviously known as a musical genius, but there are some facts y’all may not know about her. We decided to post ten things about Aretha that you all may not have known.

1. Aretha’s Mother passed right before her 10th birthday. Several women stepped up to help care for the young girl. One of these women was Gospel matriarch Mahalia Jackson.

2. Aretha became a Mom at the age of 12. A couple of years later, she gave birth to her second child. Eventually the Queen Of Soul went on to have four sons. The superstar was a mother to sons Clarence, 63, Edward, 61, Ted White Jr., 54, and Kecalf Cunningham, 48.

3. Aretha’s father, C.L. Franklin, was a well known preacher and was given the nickname was a preacher and was dubbed “the man with the million dollar voice. He traveled to different churches spreading the Gospel, and earned thousands of dollars. Sam Cooke and Dr. Martin Luther King was one of his many admirers.

4. Aretha’s father, Minister C.L. Franklin, was shot by armed robbers on June 10th 1979 at his Detroit home. He remained in a coma for 5 years until he finally succumbed to his injuries.

5. Aretha Franklin was the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

6. Aretha Franklin refused to travel by plane because of fear of crashing. The 1967 plane crash that killed singer Otis Redding and some of his band members shook Aretha to the core. A 1982 flight that the Queen of Soul was on had severe turbulence. After she exited the plane, she vowed that she would never fly again. However; long time friend Sydney Miller claims that Ms. Franklin had a change of heart, and decided to give the friendly skies another try.

7. Aretha Franklin was married twice. The singer’s second husband was actor Glynn Turman, aka Ralph Angel’s Pops on Queen Sugar. The couple was married for 6 years.

8. The temperature has to be 80 degrees or above before Aretha Franklin even THINK about hitting the stage. She said her vocal chords don’t cooperate in the cold.

9. After many years, Aretha finally quit smoking in 1992. She said smoking was messing with her voice.

10. Franklin won 18 Grammy Awards and has sold over 75 million records worldwide.

11. One of Aretha’s son is an accomplished singer and guitarist who goes by the name of Teddy Richards. He also accompanied his Mom on tour. Check out his skills below.

Wow! He’s pretty good, right?

Here’s the official statement issued by the family today.

“We have been deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from close friends, supporters and fans all around the world. Thank you for your compassion and prayers. We have felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time.”

We’ll keep you guys in the know concerning funeral arrangements.

Long live the queen.