Aretha Franklin’s Rise from Gospel Roots to Soul Queen

Description

Aretha Franklin began her music career in 1956 at the age of 14, singing gospel with her family. That same year, she recorded her first gospel album, The Gospel Sound of Aretha Franklin. In 1960, she moved into popular music by signing with Columbia Records and released her first secular single, “Today I Sing the Blues.” Her breakthrough came in 1967 after joining Atlantic Records, where she released the album I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) — a major success that launched her into fame and established her as a defining voice in soul music.