Aretha Franklin

"We all require and want respect, man or woman, black or white. It's our basic human right."

• Born Aretha Louise Franklin March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee. Died August 16, 2018.

• In the mid-1960s, Aretha Franklin was already a well-respected R&B soul singer. But her 1967 recording of the Otis Redding song "Respect," from her hit album, I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You, went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and launched her to new heights of mainstream acclaim and popularity.     

• Her first GRAMMY wins came for 1967 for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording and Best Rhythm & Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female for "Respect."

• She debuted as a GRAMMY performer at the 13th GRAMMYs in 1971, singing Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Franklin has appeared on the GRAMMY stage eight times, putting her in a tie with Whitney Houston for second most GRAMMY performances by a female artist.  

• In 2014 Franklin had an asteroid, "249516 Aretha," named after her.

• Franklin received The Recording Academy's GRAMMY Legend Award in 1991. She was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994. She has five recordings in the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame: "Respect," "Chain Of Fools," "Amazing Grace," "A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel Like)," and "I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You." 

• Franklin was honored as the 2008 MusiCares Person of the Year. The annual Person of the Year gala raises funds for MusiCares, which provides services and resources that cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies for music people.

• Franklin has supported a large number of charities and advocacy organizations, including the NAACP, the Special Olympics, Feeding America, The Rainforest Foundation, and the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes.