Aretha Franklin
Known for Acting · 84 credits
- Born
- 1942-03-25
- Died
- 2018-08-16
- Place of birth
- Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Also known as
- The Queen of Soul
Biography
Aretha Louise Franklin (March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", Rolling Stone twice named her as the greatest singer of all time. With global sales of over 75 million records, Franklin is one of the world's best-selling music artists.
As a child, Franklin was noticed for her gospel singing at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father C. L. Franklin was a minister. At the age of 18, she was signed as a recording artist for Columbia Records. While her career did not immediately flourish, Franklin found acclaim and commercial success once she signed with Atlantic Records in 1966. Hit songs such as "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)", "Respect", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", "Chain of Fools", "Think", and "I Say a Little Prayer", propelled Franklin past her musical peers.
Franklin continued to record acclaimed albums such as I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967), Lady Soul (1968), Spirit in the Dark (1970), Young, Gifted and Black (1972), Amazing Grace (1972), and Sparkle (1976), before experiencing problems with the record company. Franklin left Atlantic in 1979 and signed with Arista Records. The singer appeared in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers before releasing the successful albums Jump to It (1982), Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985) and Aretha (1986) on the Arista label. In 1998, Franklin returned to the Top 40 with the Lauryn Hill-produced song "A Rose Is Still a Rose"; later, she released an album with the same name.
Franklin recorded 112 charted singles on the US Billboard charts, including 73 Hot 100 entries, 17 top-ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries and 20 number-one R&B singles. Besides the foregoing, the singer's well-known hits also include "Ain't No Way", "Call Me", "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)", "Spanish Harlem", "Rock Steady", "Day Dreaming", "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)", "Something He Can Feel", "Jump to It", "Freeway of Love", "Who's Zoomin' Who" and "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (a duet with George Michael). Franklin won 18 Grammy Awards (out of 44 nominations), including the first eight awards given for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (1968–1975), a Grammy Awards Living Legend honor and Lifetime Achievement Award.
Franklin received numerous honors throughout her career. She was awarded the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1987, she became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She also was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2019, the Pulitzer Prize jury awarded the songwriter a posthumous special citation "for her indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades". In 2020, Franklin was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. ..
Known For
TV Shows (24)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
Late Night with Seth Meyers
2014
as Self - Musical Guest
Late Show with David Letterman
1993
as Self - Musical Guest
Saturday Night Live
1975
as Self - Musical Guest
Champs-Elysées
1982
as Self
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
as Self
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993
as Self - Musical Guest
WWF Superstars
1986
as Aretha Franklin
WWF Wrestling Challenge
1986
as Self
Murphy Brown
1988
as Aretha Franklin
The Oscars
1953
as Self
Kraft Music Hall
1958
as Self
Solid Gold
1980
as Self
The Flip Wilson Show
1970
as Self
The Midnight Special
1972
as Self
The Hollywood Palace
1964
as Self - Singer
The Kennedy Center Honors
1978
as Self
Sean Combs: The Reckoning
2025
as Self (archive footage)
Shindig!
1964
as Self - Singer
Cachitos de hierro y cromo
2013
as Self (archive footage)
Deal or No Deal
2005
as Self
Mr. McMahon
2024
as Self (Archive Footage)
Stax: Soulsville USA
2024
as Self - (Archive Footage)
Behind the beats, histoires de la pop music
2022
as Self (voice)
Movies (60)
The Blues Brothers
1980
as Mrs. Murphy
Blues Brothers 2000
1998
as Mrs. Murphy
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
2022
as Self (archive footage)
Night of 100 Stars III
1990
as Self
The 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concerts
2009
as Self
Muscle Shoals
2013
as Self
Amazing Grace
2018
as Self (archive footage)
The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue
1997
as Homebuilt Computer / Singer (voice)
It's Black Entertainment
2002
as Mrs. Murphy (archive footage)
WHAM!
2023
as Self (archive footage)
Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives
2017
as Self
Arista Records' 25th Anniversary Celebration
2000
as Self
Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars
2018
as Self (archive footage)
The Rodney Dangerfield Show: It's Not Easy Bein' Me
1982
as Self
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2
2001
as Self (archive footage)
The Stories Behind the Making of 'The Blues Brothers'
1998
as Self
Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President
2020
as Self (archive footage)
Motown 40: The Music Is Forever
1998
as Self
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
2001
as Self (archive footage)
George Michael: Portrait of an Artist
2022
as Self (archive footage)
This Is Bob Hope...
2017
as Self (archive footage)
The Apollo
2019
as Self (archive footage)
Britney Spears: In the Zone
2003
as Self (archive footage)
Aretha Franklin: Duets
1993
as Self
Women in Rock
1986
as Self
They All Came Out to Montreux
2023
as Self (archive footage)
The Greatest Ears in Town: The Arif Mardin Story
2010
as Self
Grammy's Greatest Stories: A 60th Anniversary Special
2017
as Self
Led Zeppelin Played Here
2014
as Self (archive footage)
VH1: Divas Live
1998
as Self - Performer
VH1 Divas Live: The One and Only Aretha Franklin
2001
as Self
Casey Kasem's Rock 'n' Roll Goldmine: The Soul Years
2004
as Self (archive footage)
Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built
2007
as Self
George Michael Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael
1999
as Self
The Magic Voices of Pop
2021
as Self (archive)
The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: Million Sellers
2006
as Self
Burt Bacharach at the BBC
2023
as Self (archive footage)
Classic Soul at the BBC
2007
as Self (archive footage)
Woody Allen Looks at 1967
1967
as Self
Sam Cooke: Legend
2003
as Self
Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul
1988
as Self
George Michael - Twenty Five
2006
as Self
James Brown & Friends: A Night of Super Soul
1987
as Self
Queens of Soul at the BBC
2015
as Self (archive footage)
Jazz at the White House
2016
as Self
Freedom : La Story de George Michael
2016
as Self (archive footage)
Rhythm and Blues 40: A Soul Spectacular
2001
as Self
American Dream: Detroit
2018
as Self - Interviewee
Lady Soul: Aretha Franklin på Berns
1968
as self
Tom Dowd & The Language of Music
2004
as Self
Aretha Franklin, soul sister
2020
as Self (archive footage)
Say Hello to Our Good Friend Paul Shaffer
as Self (archive footage)
Aretha Franklin: The Legendary Concertgebouw Concert Amsterdam 1968
1968
as Self
Aretha Franklin Remembered (My Music)
2019
as Self (archive footage)
Aretha Franklin - Live at Park West 1985
1999
as Self
Aretha Franklin: Respect
2018
as Self (archive footage)
Aretha Franklin: Swing In '68
1968
as Self
Aretha Franklin: Berns Salonger 1968
1968
as Self
Aretha Franklin - Live in Paris
1977
as Self
Queens Of Pop: Aretha Franklin
2011
as Self
About Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin (March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", Rolling Stone twice named her as the greatest singer of all time. With global sales of over 75 million records, Franklin is one of the world's best-selling music artists. As a child, Franklin was noticed for her gospel singing at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father C. L. Franklin was a minister. At the age of 18, she was signed as a recording artist for Columbia Records. Whil… With 84 credits spanning from 1953 to 2025, Aretha Franklin has appeared in 60 films and 24 TV shows.
Fans searching for Aretha Franklin movies, Aretha Franklin filmography, or the latest projects starring Aretha Franklin can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Aretha Franklin Movies
- The Blues Brothers (1980) — as Mrs. Murphy
- Blues Brothers 2000 (1998) — as Mrs. Murphy
- 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (2022) — as Self (archive footage)
- Night of 100 Stars III (1990) — as Self
- The 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concerts (2009) — as Self
Where to Watch Aretha Franklin Films
Most Aretha Franklin movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Aretha Franklin, check our movies catalogue and browse page.