Aretha Franklin has one of the most iconic and recognizable voices of all time. The famous singer spent a lot of her time in the spotlight, but there are still some things about her life that many people do not know. Here, we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Aretha Franklin. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: She Doesn’t Like Auto-Tune. Franklin’s vocal range is an impressive four octaves, and her voice is such a powerhouse that even the thought of auto-tuning it is atrocious. In fact, she is said that she doesn’t even know what auto-tune is! When she was asked, she said, “What is auto-tune? I don’t even know what auto-tune is.”
Number Fourteen: She Was the Very First Female in the Hall of Fame. In 1984, Franklin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Keith Richards. Richards announced her as, “The first lady to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.”
Number Thirteen: She Has Performed in Front of Three U.S. Presidents. Franklin performed at the inauguration ceremonies of Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.
Number Twelve: She Hate Flying. Though Franklin is a fearless musician, she has a very legitimate fear of flying. Instead of flying, she gets around using a bus that she has customized to fit her needs.
Number Eleven: She Had Two Kids by the Age of 14. Franklin was forced to grow up quickly, because by the time she was just 14 years old, she had two children. Her sons are named Clarence and Edward. Later on, she had two more sons named Theodore and Kecalf.
Number Ten: Both of Her Parents Were Gospel Singers. But does this really come as much of a surprise? Her father was also a minister. Her parents are named Barbara Franklin and Clarence La Vaughn.
Number Nine: She Studied at Juilliard. It’s obvious that the woman is talented, but did you know she studied at Juilliard? She studied classical piano while she was there, and she graduated in 1998. Before she was at Juilliard, she taught herself how to play piano.