(Answered 2023). Aretha first became pregnant at the age of 12, and gave birth to her first child, named Clarence after her father, American Baptist minister CL Franklin, in 1955. We were all devastated, Arethas sister Erma told Ritz. This would make Arethas half-sister, Carolyn Franklin, only 13 years old when Aretha was born. C.L. Franklin. No tribute to Aretha Franklin would be complete without citing the massive impact her father, the Rev. Ike made Tina, no doubt about it. The film continues to play fast and loose with their relationship timeline, making it seem as if the pair got together well into her recording career in the mid-1960s. And her friend Ruth Bowen claimed Aretha was so unhappy that she turned to alcohol, food and cigarettes for comfort. He is believed to havewritten a number of songs, including some recorded by his mother. It surprised her agent Ruth Bowen, who told Ritz: She had a habit of getting loaded before a performance. 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Her second child, a daughter named Edward, was born when she was 20 years old. In 1948, when Aretha was six, Barbara movedtaking Vaughn with her to Buffalo, New York, but leaving C.L. Aretha Franklin is a legendary figure in the world of music, and she has achieved massive success both as a solo artist and as a member of The Queen of Soul. However, she did eventually get married to all four of their fathers. However, this brief encounter occurred in 1954, when Franklin was just a teenager, and not on the eve of her Columbia Records deal in 1960. and the rest of Aretha's family didn't turn their backs on her. Most people couldnt tell anything was wrong.. (Ray Charles, no stranger to debauchery, would describe Rev. It wasn't long before Aretha suffered further heartbreak when her beloved father C.L was shot twice at his Detroit home in 1979. Citing no questions asked the woman who pled no contest wants $500,000 for returning Gagas pets. He was 76. Reverend Franklin In Detroit in 1976. Is Aretha Franklins father the father of her first child? Shes still unpacking the impact it had on herand the questions shes been asked because of it. Franklin's oldest son, Clarence was born when she was 12 years old in 1955. Franklin was only 12 in 1955 when she had her first son, Clarence named after her minister and activist father, Rev. Her third child, another son named Kecalf, was born when she was 28 years old. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) Why Diane Kruger Changed Her Mind About Having Children, The actor said that in her mid-30s she began to wonder, What am I doing all this for?, She worked like my life depends on it playing Tina Turner in, Kerry Washington Goes for LaughsAnd TruthIn Hulu Comedy. Mother and Daddy were so tickled by that/ and so proud too." The rhythmic and inviting narrative shares how her father found an upright in the junkyard, rescued it, and painted it green. Aretha joined her father's traveling gospel ministry at age 12. "When it came to pure sex, they were wilder than me and that's saying something. "It was anything goes. Respect justifiably treats Franklins contract with Columbia Records in 1960 as a crucial turning point in her life and career. Her childhood had so much heartbreak that helps you understand how she was able to sing with such emotional intensity, and how she was able to bring so much pain and power to the renditions of the songs she chose to sing, said Tommy in an interview with Vanity Fair. Her debut single was a preternaturally powerful rendition of Never Grow Old (backed by You Grow Closer) which featured Franklin accompanying herself on piano. When the singer-songwriter commissioned a memoir, 1999s From These Roots, it largely glossed over traumatic milestones in the performers life, including the death of Arethas mother, when the singer was only 10; Arethas pregnancy at 12 years old; her first marriage; and her alleged battles with alcohol. In reality, Franklin gave birth to her first son when she was 12 years old. ], Respect: Arethas Music Carries This Biopic. You talk about being moved not only because Aretha is my daughter, Aretha is just a stone singer.. Doing so as a teenager is even harder. It has been reported that Aretha Franklins father, Rev. As of August 2019, Clarence was living in a group home outside Detroit, but his current whereabouts and occupation are unknown. In a 2008 interview with Rolling Stone, she said simply, He was a friend of my fathers.. Called a pimp, hustler, and one of the slickest operators in Detroit by an assortment of Franklins friends, White was notoriously controlling of his wifes career. It was revealed in her handwritten wills that she had made "special provisions" for Clarence, now in his 60s, who has undisclosed special needs. He was a musician himself, and he helped Aretha to develop her own musical talent. As in the movie, Franklin really did meet her first husband, a Detroit wheeler-dealer named Ted White (played by Marlon Wayans), at one of her fathers house parties. In 1956, when Franklin was 14 years old, she was recorded singing live at her fathers New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit by the local independent label J-V-B Records. Lees ons privacybeleid en cookiebeleid voor meer informatie over hoe we uw persoonsgegevens gebruiken. Even in her later years, Aretha was determined to remain the Queen of Soul. Aretha Franklin's personal life was far from stable. Sighs Mahalia Jackson: I dont think shes happy. Get a daily dose of showbiz gossip direct to your inbox. Or as Ritz put it in his 2014 biography, The most traumatic parts of Arethas life would produce her most moving music.. Jamie Lee Curtis Is Both Weepy and Giddy About Her First Oscar Nomination, Dionne Warwick Says Burt Bacharachs Death Feels Like Losing a Family Member. J-V-B issued a second single from these live recordings, a double-sided version of Precious Lord, in 1959. Guests such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Art Tatum and Sam Cooke drink, smoke, cuss, and generally raise hell as the little girl performs for their amusement. Just shy of her 15th birthday, Aretha gave birth to a second son: Eddie, named after his father, Edward Jordan. Soon after her 12th birthday, Aretha was impregnated by a local boy reportedly named Donald Burke. Instead, they supported her as much as possible. 6am - 10am, Broken Strings Within months they were married, and shortly thereafter he became her manager. Her second son, Edward, was born when she was 16. Theodore White, the father of her first child, was Arethas first husband. Aretha Franklin's 10 greatest songs ever, ranked, The complicated history of how Shania Twain swapped husbands with best friend after ex, Michael J Fox's wife and children: A timeline of Back to the Future star's beautiful, George Michael's stunning stripped back version of 'A Different Corner' is a lost, How George Michael bravely defended his sexuality with 1998 single 'Outside' and became. Did CL Franklin have a 12-year-old son? Glynn Turman was Arethas second husband, and they were married when she was 22 years old. "Aretha was using booze to numb the pain of her lousy marriage. From a young age, Aretha Franklin was exposed to music thanks to her parents' involvement with the church. Editors picks Like Aretha's mother Barbara Siggers Franklin, her father already had a child from a prior relationship, a daughter named Carl Ellan Kelley, who died in 2019. However, their coupling and didn't last long and they split in 1982 with Aretha fleeing back to Detroit. In recent years, Arethas son, Clarence, has spoken out about the rumors. As C.L.s biographer, Nick Salvatore, wrote in Singing in a Strange Land, C.L.s inclusion of his daughter, a vulnerable woman-child, on the tour all but demanded that she grow up fast. After I became older, I saw for myself that he availed himself of many of those women., In 2018, Aretha told NPRs Terry Gross, I never discussed it with him, and he never discussed that sort of thing with his children. She was a devoted mother and raised her children with strong values and a deep love for music. Aretha deeply resented the remarks and thought Dinah was acting like a diva, he wrote. She continued to sing and write music, and she even recorded her first album when Clarence was just a few months old. Though she was only 12 years old when she became a mother, Aretha Franklin didnt let that stop her from pursuing her dreams. I think Mothers move impacted Aretha more than anyone, said her sister Carolyn. Two months before her 13th birthday, she gave birth to her son Clarence. Liquor was just making her sloppy," Ruth said of the star, whose hit Respect topped the charts in 1968, just as her personal life was imploding. Ray's claims were backed up by R&B and gospel singer Billy Preston, who said: "It was the church crowd where the vibe was wide open. What do we know about her first born Clarence? On Sunday, June 10, 1979, CL Franklin was shot twice at point-blank range in what was reported to have been an attempted robbery at his home. During her career, Franklin won numerous awards, including 18 Grammy Awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. Arethawas just 12 when she fell pregnant with her first child. As Franklin began her concert at the Regal Theater in April of 1967, DJs Pervis the Blues Man Spann and E. Rodney Jones appeared onstage to perform a mock Queen of Soul coronation, complete with bejeweled crown. During the 1950s, he took her with him on tours and musical events. No, Jerry Wexler wasn't the one to dub her "the Queen of Soul" and a few other things the new movie about the life and career of the legendary singer gets wrong, Jennifer Hudson and Mary J. Blige in Clarence was raised by Arethas father, the Reverend C. L. Franklin, and he went on to have a successful career as a Gospel singer. (Answered 2023), How Much Salami Can a Dog Eat? Not much is known about Clarence's life, but he is said to have had the least musical interest of her four sons. Jennifer Hudson performs There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood in Respect while standing at her fathers pulpit perhaps a subtle nod to this era of her career. The details of a life, a home, and a community ordered by sexual . When Franklin learns that her old family friend is in the audience at one of her New York City club dates, she decides to honor Washington with a rendition of her signature song, Unforgettable. Unfortunately, her attempt at a tribute badly misfires. Mutasim is an author and software engineer from the United States, I and a group of experts made this blog with the aim of answering all the unanswered questions to help as many people as possible. But its another to have your mama die of a heart attack as a young womanAnd it happened just like thatno preparation, no warning. She named him after her father, who was a rock for Aretha, a loving . According to Ritz's biography, C.L. He has said that he does not believe that his grandfather was his father, and he has no intention of ever finding out for sure. Franklin became the father of a 12-year-old daughter, Mildred Jennings, just a few years before her Aretha was born. [Spoilers Ahead! By the late 1970s, Aretha appeared to be happier after finding love with second husband, actor Glynn Turman, and left Atlantic Records for a new deal with Clive Davis' Arista Records. However, behind the glamour, the 76-year-old singer has lived a dramatic life, from her teenage pregnancies to an 'orgy-loving' father, alcoholism and abuse, according to David Ritz' 2014 book, RESPECT. Meanwhile, plagued by cripplingly low self-esteem, her insecurity prompted Aretha's jealously of other female singers, including Roberta Flack, Barbra Streisand, Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and Natalie Cole. So, the answer to the question is still a mystery. She was scared of rocking the boat, until one day the boat capsized and she nearly drowned.". But all four of her children appear to have followed in her musical footsteps in some capacity. He performed several duets with his mother and even sang at his mother's funeral in 2018. THE Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin was one of the most successful American singers of all time. The first of Aretha Franklin's sons was named after her father, the famous Baptist minister, CL Franklin. She first became pregnant at the age of 12 and gave birth to her first child, named Clarence after her father, on January 28, 1955. Like Etta James, she was anxious to make the leap out of childhood straight into adulthood. In his book Respect, David Ritz details one of Franklins early shows in Detroit when Washington paid her a visit backstage and criticized her messy dressing room. recruited his daughter to begin traveling with him and his gospel group on the road. All Rights reserved. The identity of Clarence's father has never been revealed, and Aretha has always refused to identify him publicly. Aretha and Ted Sr divorced in 1969. About Clarence, he followed in his famous mother's footsteps and wrote some of the songs Aretha sang. Editor's note: The following article is an op-ed and the views expressed are the author's own. Her mother passed away from a heart attack in 1952, when Aretha was nine. Her first son Clarence was born on January 28, 1955. "The gospel people didn't think that way. The singer herself never named her sons father publicly, but in her 1999 memoir From These Roots, she said he was a boy she met at a local skating rink. The last of the three, written in 2014, didn't list Clarence as a beneficiary. Franklin'ssons have largely kept their family matters private. The third was Ken Cunningham, the father of her third child. Read on as we separate fact from fiction. Franklin share a touching moment just before showtime. Aretha Franklin was one of the world's most respected singers of all time, with her brand of powerful and moving soul music resonating with millions around the world. Franklin, the so-called Man with the Million-Dollar Voice whose fiery sermons had made him a Detroit celebrity. However, her wills changed everything. Aretha first became pregnant at the age of 12, and gave birth to her first child, named Clarence after her father, American Baptist minister CL Franklin, in 1955. Still relatively a child herself, Aretha handed over a lot of the childcare responsibility for her sons to her grandmother Rachel and older sister Erma while she pursued her music career. The answer is yes, she did have children. She was a traumatized child. Celeb obsessed? This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. She moved to Detroit, Michigan, with her family at an early age, and she began singing gospel music in her fathers church. While the truth about Rev. Over 20 years ago, Aretha had to settle out of court after she was sued by the Saks Fifth Avenue department store over $262,851 in credit card bills. And the fourth was Willie Wilkerson, the father of her fourth and final child. His father was believed to be Franklin's classmate, Donald Burke according to her biographer and author of Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin, David Ritz. On the big screen, White is presented as emotionally abusive towards Franklin and frequently violent. Its based on a real-life incident that occurred when Washington attended a concert by another up-and-comer, Etta James, who dared to perform one of Washingtons songs to her face. Like Aretha's mother Barbara Siggers Franklin, her father already had a child from a prior relationship, a daughter named Carl Ellan Kelley, who died in 2019. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories. Morton grew up . This characterization is corroborated by a disturbing number of reports in biographies and profiles. and Freeway Of Love. No, Aretha Franklin's father is not the father of her first child. Still, he offered some kind words to his daughter from the pulpit. Ive been hurthurt bad, the magazine cryptically quoted her as saying. But perhaps most glaringly absent are the Sweet Inspirations, the legendary R&B collective who sang backup on many of Franklins hits and countless tours. 4pm - 7pm, Too Much Heaven She didn't hold back with her opinion when Beyonce introduced Tina Turner as 'the Queen' at the 2008 Grammy Awards: "I am not sure of whose toes I may have stepped on or whose ego I may have bruised between the Grammy writers and Beyonce. and was introduced to adulthood early, perhaps unsurprisingly given his controversial lifestyle. No, CL Franklin did not father a child with a 12-year-old. According to Clarence's court-appointed guardian Jon B. Munger, the wills cannot be authenticated. In a 1968 cover story, Time portrayed Aretha as being a larger-than-life performer who could command any stage, but who skulked behind the scenes. Aretha had a difficult childhood, particularly as she gave birth to her first child aged just 12 years old. Apart from Clarence, Aretha had three more sons: Edward Jr., born in 1957 when Aretha was 14; Ted Jr., born in 1964 during her marriage to Ted White; and Kecalf, born in 1970 during her relationship with tour manager Ken Cunningham. Erma explained: "It was also understood that our future as women our education and our career would not be compromised because of these early births.". Franklin liked what she heard and the group worked out an arrangement on the spot. (She refers to him only as Romeo.) Journalist David Ritz, who co-wrote Franklins memoir and also penned an unauthorized 2014 biography on the singer, wrote that Clarences father was a classmate of Franklins named Donald. She had a tough childhood, Ritz explained to People in 2018, shortly after the icons death. Little is known about first-born Clarence but he reportedly had the least musical interest of her children. Something went wrong, please try again later. C.L. It was not the first such incident. (Answered 2023), Wheres Curtis on House of Payne? Still, Michigan lawyer David P. Lucas (who is not involved with the case) explained that the court could accept it as a valid will under Michigan law even without her signature. Posted on Last updated: February 22, 2023. Mary J. Blige makes a memorable appearance in Respect as vocalist Dinah Washington, whose string of 1950s jazz hits made her one of the most popular black recording artists of the era. If this rumor is true, it would also explain why Aretha was never particularly close to her sister Carolyn. The child was named after his father, Edward. She died aged 76 in August 2018 from pancreatic cancer, leaving four sons. She was having all those hits and making all that money. He took his mother's second name and not the name of his father. Aretha's father, Reverend C.L. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time . (2023), How Long After Color Remover Can I Bleach My Hair? Franklin. Sadly, this sweet pre-show reconciliation never took place. In reality, Franklin did record Let It Be, which Wexler would (somewhat dubiously) claim had been written specifically for her. The story continued: last yearArethas husband, Ted White, roughed her up in public at Atlantas Regency Hyatt House Hotel. In Respect, the pregnancies are handled vaguelyin an early scene, when Aretha is still a child, about 10 years old, a male family friend enters her bedroom at night and closes the door behind him. "Everyone knew that Ted White was a brutal man," her sister-in-law Earline told Ritz. Glynn Turman, the father of her second child, was Arethas second husband. Raising a child is never easy. We may earn a commission, at no cost to you, if you purchase through links. Clarence Franklin is Aretha Franklin's eldest son with unspecified special needs who might not get anything from her after her passing. As Aretha became more miserable in her marriage, she allegedly looked to alcohol to numb her pain. According to musical director Rev. Aretha Franklin was one of the most iconic figures in music history. Aretha Franklin was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist who achieved commercial success and critical acclaim throughout her six-decade career. In the community outside the church, gay men were called sissies. The Queen of Soul's older sister, Erma also a talented singer nominated for a Grammy once admitted that Aretha returned to school right after Clarence was born. She calls the film the most all-consuming, life-affirming project shes ever been a part of. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Franklin, father of Aretha Franklin, died Feb. 11. Youre in the studio as Franklin finds the groove for her breakthrough hit, Ill Never Love a Man (The Way That I Love You). Youre in the front row as she blows the roof off Madison Square Garden with Respect. Youre backstage as she prepares to record her landmark live album, Amazing Grace. C.L. Aretha married her first husband Ted White aged 19. She crawled into a shell and didnt come out until many years laterWithout the music Im not sure Aretha would have ever found her way out of the shell.. Riley Keough Is Living Her Rock Star Dreams, Thanks to Lisa Marie Presley, The actor and granddaughter of Elvis Presley joined producer Reese Witherspoon for the Hollywood premiere of. In "Respect," Aretha is seen as a 10-year-old in her Detroit bedroom when an older, unnamed male house guest wanders in, offering to be her "boyfriend.". There was never any definitive proof that the rumors were true, but they continued to circulate for years. He remained in a coma for the next five years. He developed her talent. No, Aretha Franklin did not have a child by her father. This site is supported by our readers. However, according to what her brother, Cecil, stated in the Ritz's biography, she and the rest of his siblings were all exposed to some form of drinking and/or drug activity while living with their father, who raised them as a single parent after their mom left him: He had fathered the child with Mildred Jennings, a 12-year-old member of his congregation, when he was aged 25. And early on in her career she was hit by the tabloidsthere were stories of her being a victim of domestic violence and she didnt like that. The child of Franklin and another of her former managers Ken Cunningham, his name is a portmanteau of his father's first. Circumstances were further muddied when a will, purportedly handwritten by Franklin, surfaced after her death. Now in his 60s, Edward is also a singer. Although her singing talent is undeniable, Aretha's business sense was lacking and she ended up in trouble after frequently failing to turn up for gigs or forgetting to pay bills. Aretha named her son after her dad, a successful minister named Clarence LaVaughn Franklin who frequently went by C.L. Two years after Clarence's arrival, Aretha had another son at age 14. By 19, Aretha married her manager, Ted White Snr, who allegedly introduced the singer to weed and alcohol. Aretha gave birth to her first child, a son she named Clarence, two months before her 13th birthday. You taught me every song Im singing today, she tearfully admits to her dad. All rights reserved. No, Aretha Franklins father did not have a child with a 12-year-old. However, the veracity of the will is debated. Between 1955 and 1970, Franklin had sons Clarence, Edward, Teddy, and Kecalf, all of whom ultimately followed their mother into the music world in various forms. Instead, they proved that her son (and the rest of the kids of Aretha's siblings) would receive care and love. ", Her sister Erma, who died in 2002, summarised: "Aretha's always had problems with her female contemporaries. Born in March 1942, Aretha was one of the world's most respected and successful American musicians for over six decades, but her life got complicated at a very young age. Smooth Breakfast with Eamonn Kelly Franklin herself never revealed the identity of the father of either of the boys, but a 2014 biography by David Ritz called "Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin" claimed that the father of . Clarence Franklin. However, he did have an illegitimate child with a 16-year-old girl when he was 18. And Willie Wilkerson, the father of her fourth child, was Arethas fourth and final husband. I felt like Aretha was singing Respect to Ted, but it hardly made any difference. Franklin never married, but she was in a long-term relationship with her manager, William Warden, from the 1960s until his death in 1988. My parents relationship was stormy andmy father had a violent temperId also be lying if I didnt admit that we certainly knew about my fathers reputation as a ladies man. It is important to point out that Edward Jr. accused Owens of "self-dealing" by supposedly taking possession and driving around Aretha's 2016 Mercedes-Benz sedan. Her third child, Ted White Jr, was born in 1964 and is known professionally as Teddy Richards. Clarence has written several songs, some of which Franklin went on to sing and record. Aretha first became pregnant at the age of 12, and gave birth to her first child, named Clarence after her father, American Baptist minister CL Franklin, in 1955. Legendary singer Aretha Franklin has passed away age 76, Family ties: Aretha with her father CL Franklin and sister Carolyn in 1971, C.L. When Aretha was 14, she became pregnant againeventually having a second son that she named Eddie. Aretha Franklins voice may be deeply familiar to millions, but her origin story is lesser knownand that was by the Queen of Souls design. Her fourth and final child, Kecalf Cunningham, was born when she was 24. Aretha Franklin had four children. Reflecting on her weight loss, the singer said: "I have diabetes, really, from years ago when I was really badly and grossly overweight. Edward Jordan is the father of two of Franklin's sons. But instead of letting Aretha stay home to take care of the childthat responsibility fell to Arethas paternal grandmotherC.L. Did Aretha Franklin have a child at 12? After pursuing a career in secular music, Franklin returned to gospel in the mid-1960s with albums such as Amazing Grace (1972) and One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism (1987). The rest is history. The lid on Aretha's private life was lifted four years ago when her official biographer Ritz decided to write his own tell-all book about the diva, entitled Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin. Her fantasy is to eliminate the competition.". It's been three years since she died from cancer, but her four children are still arguing over her estate. Do I Have to Stop Minoxidil Before Hair Transplant?