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• R&B/soul singer and songwriter Aretha Franklin's recording and performing career has spanned over 50 years and she has had charted singles in four consecutive decades (1950s-1990s).Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Aretha Franklin She has earned 21 Grammy Awards throughout and in 2008, topped a Rolling Stone poll of music industry professionals to be named the "Greatest singer of the Rock era"Yahoo! Music: Aretha Franklin greatest singer in rock era: poll (November 11, 2008)

  Franklin sang "My Country 'Tis of Thee" during the inauguration ceremony for President Barack Obama on January 20, 2009. Franklin said she was excited "to be part of this special moment in American history and in African-American history."USA Today: Aretha Franklin lends her voice to history at inauguration (January 13, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Name: Aretha Louise Franklin
  2. Born: March 25, 1942
  3. Birthplace: Memphis, Tennessee
  4. Nickname: The Queen of Soul
  5. Grammy Awards: 21The New York Times: Aretha Franklin to Participate in Inaugural Ceremony (December 17, 2008)
  6. Active: 1950s - present
  7. First woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of FameRock & Roll Hall of Fame: Aretha Franklin
  8. Second most-honored female singer by the Grammy Awards
  9. Godmother of pop singer Whitney Houston
  10. Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2005
  11. Recipient of the National Medal of ArtsThe New York Times: Aretha Franklin to Participate in Inaugural Ceremony (December 17, 2008)
  12. A 2008 Rolling Stone poll named her the "Greatest singer of the Rock era"Yahoo! Music: Aretha Franklin greatest singer in rock era: poll (November 11, 2008)
  13. Sang "My Country 'Tis of Thee" at Barack Obama's inauguration on January 20, 2009

• Respect the Queen of Soul

  Nicknamed "The Queen of Soul," Franklin began her meteoric rise with the 1967 hit "Respect", which became her signature song and won her her first Grammy. After a string of hits in the 1960s and early 1970s, Franklin took a brief hiatus before returning to the spotlight in the 1980 movie The Blues Brothers.

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