A Star is Born
Aretha Louise Franklin was born on March 25th, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee. She is the fourth of five children to Barbara Siggers Franklin and Reverend Clarence La Vaughan “C.L.” Franklin, a Baptist preacher. Her mother was a gospel singer, so Aretha grew up surrounded by music.
Source: Instagram, @arethafranklinforever
Unfortunately, when Aretha was just six years old, her parents split up, and by the time she was ten, her mother tragically died of a heart attack. That’s when the family decided to move to Detroit, Michigan, where C.L. found himself at the New Bethel Baptist Church. That’s where he gained national fame as a preacher. No matter the difficulties in her early years, one thing was always evident. She was born with a musical gift.