Name: Aretha

Surname: Franklin



Aretha Louise Franklin (Memphis, March 25, 1942 – Detroit, August 16, 2018) was an American singer-songwriter and pianist, one of the icons of gospel, soul and R&B music. She was nicknamed "The Queen of Soul" or "Lady Soul" for her ability to add a soulful streak to whatever she sang, and for her vocal qualities. The State of Michigan has officially declared her voice "a wonder of nature." Well known for her vast production of soul, gospel and R&B music but also blues, jazz and rock and roll, she has won twenty-one Grammy Awards (eight of which were won consecutively in the same category from 1968 to 1975; in that period, in fact, the The award was called The Aretha Award. With over 75 million albums sold, she is considered one of the greatest female exponents of Soul music, along with Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle. On January 3, 1987, she became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In a ranking drawn up in 2004 by Rolling Stone magazine Aretha was ranked ninth among the 100 greatest artists in the history of music, and since 2010 she has been moved to fifth, which is also the highest ranking for a woman. The same magazine in a special ranking of the "100 Greatest Singers" of 2010 placed her in first place overall. Numerous artists, including Anastacia, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Fantasia, Joss Stone, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Giuni Russo, Giorgia and Elisa have cited Aretha as one of their main inspirations and have performed covers of her most famous songs .

Autograph type: photo with autograph dedication