Landing a Record Deal
After a short break, Franklin went right back into performing. She was inspired by Cooke and Dinah Washington to get into the pop and blues territory. In 1960, she decided to go to New York, where she was turned down by Motown, RCA, and several other record labels. She ultimately signed with Columbia Records, and in 1961, her album, Aretha was released.
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Not one, but two songs from her album made it to the Top 10 of the R&B charts. That same year, she experienced even more success with the single “Rock-a-bye Your Baby” with a Dixie Melody, which crossed over to number 37 on pop charts. Aretha enjoyed moderate success with her recordings for the next few years, but none of it showed her incredible talent.