ONCE AGAIN.. Aretha Louise Franklin (/ri/ -REE-th; March 25, 1942 - August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. She became the stepmother to Turman's three children from a previous marriage. Cunningham has spoken out against not only the Genius series, but also the biopic Respect, which stars Jennifer Hudson as Aretha. A 1968 Time cover story on Franklin titled "The Sound of Soul" delves into the trauma she experienced, reportedly at the hands of Ted White. She has won several awards so far. Aretha Franklin met her first husband, Theodore "Ted" White, in 1954 at one of the parties her father organized. He was born on March 28, 1970. Watch on. As with many a relaxed recording session in the south, however, drink was being taken, and one member of the horn section began baiting White, in an exchange with racist overtones. Aretha had her fourth and last child at the age of 28. Kecalf Cunningham is the son of late soulful singer Aretha Franklin. with Donald Burk Edward Franklin born 1957, age 61 (approx.) He's played guitar for his mother's band on plenty occasions. She would look into the clippings she had collected and generate ideas for concerts and shows. Photograph: Anthony Barboza/Getty After White had gone she spent several years in a. Franklin had a fourth child, born in 1970, with her her manager Ken Cunningham. She used to sing with her legendary grandmother Aretha. Her voice could scald or soothe, singing with equal intimacy and intensity to her God or a faithless lover. It was understood that our babies would be welcomed into the world and cared for with limitless love. He helped Aretha get it together. They called each other sweetie. Aretha was as remote as she could be," Otis said. Aretha Franklin and Martin Luther King's extraordinary friendship explored in 'Respect' movie His name is an acronym of both his father and mother's full names. Now there was no stopping her. Aretha Franklin may be known as the queen of soul, but the icon, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2018, per Rolling Stone, was also a queen of hearts to those who knew her best. We may earn commission from the links on this page. Franklin had her youngest son, Kecalf, with her road manager Ken Cunningham in 1970. "Brand New Me" was her symbolic song . Aretha Franklin's son is a famous gospel rapper who has been passionate about music for a long time now. His wife's name is Kafi Franklin. Aretha Louise Franklin, from Memphis, Tennessee was born on March 25, 1942, to Mississippi born preacher Clarence LaVaughnFranklin and vocalist and pianist momma Barbara Siggers. Franklin and Cunningham lived together but reportedly never married because of Franklins contentious split with White and her hesitance to get married again. She began her singing career at a young age. The information about other children is not available on his wiki sites. Two years later a collaboration with Curtis Mayfield delivered the last of her Atlantic successes, Something He Can Feel, hitting No 1 in the R&B chart while only just scraping into the US pop Top 30, as if to prove that her original audience retained its loyalty. They are still together and spending blissful married life together. But no one appointed me her counselor and I simply shut up and supervised the session. She has visited and stayed in Kokomo numerous times with Virginia Cunningham, the mother of her business manager and boyfriend, Ken. Kecalf's father was Franklin's road manager, Ken Cunningham. The Complex History of Aretha Franklin's Children, The Creative Process Behind "Genius: Aretha", Five Lessons We Learned From "Genius: Aretha", Jennifer Hudson Is Starring as Aretha Franklin, Sheryl Lee Ralphs Definition of True Love, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. They sort of looked at one another and reflected on what they had shared and meant to each other. "Will and I have decided we were moving a little too fast, and there were a number of things that had not been thought through thoroughly," Franklin reportedly told Us magazine. They occasionally opened up about their relationship, and Franklin called them a fiery match. The two confirmed an engagement in 2012, but called it off a few weeks later. Franklin was married twice during her lifetime. At 26-years-old, Jordan Franklin is Aretha's oldest grandchild. He criticized her for apparently not talking enough to Franklins family and allegedly not asking for permission to use family photographs. Additionally, on what would've been Aretha Franklin's 78th birthday today, March 25, Nat Geo released a new image from the show featuring Erivo as the music legend. She almost always did, even when handcuffed to unsympathetic material. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. The actor called Franklin a love of my life and visited her before she died in 2018. "Arethas husband, Ted White, roughed her up in public," the piece says. The "ASAP" hitmaker portrays Franklin's one-time lover, fashion designer Ken Cunningham. At his funeral in the New Bethel church, she observed, the choir sang like they had never sung before. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. [3] Michael Ochs Archives/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, rarely spoke about her relationship status or personal life. She was also going to the Academy of Ballet back in the 70s in New York. Franklin later announced her plans . His wife's name is Kafi Franklin. The Queen of Soul got married for a second time in 1978 to American actor Glynn Turman, who can be seen in Fargo and How to Get Away With Murder, among other projects (via IMDb ). But, Turman says the two remained friends, and would speak on the phone from time to time. Continue reading to know the rest of this story. His 15-year-old youngest daughter Grace Franklin who aspires to become a singer, went to the audition for American Idol. I didn't need to introduce him to Aretha. She got married twice in her life. She loved to tell jokes and make people laugh with her jokes. For Amazing Biographies Of Your Favorite Celebrities,Stay Tuned To vergewiki, Updated On Sat Oct 01 2022 Published On Thu May 28 2020 By, singer, songwriter, actress, pianist, and civil rights activist, Teddy Richards, Clarence Franklin and Edward Franklin. Erma also explained that, despite giving birth young, their parents did not see that as a reason for them to stop pursuing their professional dreams. Turman remarried but Franklin did not. There was a second gospel album, recorded at her fathers church, in which she sang with her sisters for the first time in many years, and there were duets with younger white artists such as Annie Lennox (Sisters Are Doin It For Themselves, 1985) and George Michael (I Knew You Were Waiting, a No 1 hit in 1987). Ten years later, Aretha wed her second husband, actor Glynn Turman and became the stepmother to Turman's three children from a previous marriage. SOUL sensation Aretha Franklin died in August 2018 aged 76 from pancreatic cancer. Clarence LaVaughn Franklin had met Barbara Siggers in Sunflower County, Mississippi, where he picked cotton while practising his preaching in small local churches. "He was a fixture at the clubs. A year after her divorce, Aretha started dating her road manager Ken Cunningham; he is the father of her youngest son Kecalf Cunningham, born on March 28, 1970. She and Ken began living together in New York City. In an interview with Oprah Daily, Erivo spoke about channeling Franklins ability to weather adversity in her performance. In March 1970, she gave birth to their son, Kecalf (pronounced Keif). The film was scheduled to be released in 1972 but was in the vault due to technical difficulties and later due to contract negotiations. During the audition video interview, Grace said she was super close to her late grandmother and traveled a lot with her. They never got married but welcomed a son together and named him "Kecalf Cunningham." While dating his father, Ken, Aretha reportedly enjoyed an affair with The Temptations frontman, Dennis Edwards. With global sales of over 75 million records, Franklin is one of the world's best-selling music artists. "We have. Aretha Franklin, right; her father, the Baptist preacher CL; and her sister, fellow singer Carolyn 1971. She says she is her artist and has her voice though she feels people expect her to sing like her grandma. She married Ted in 1961 at the age of 19, and he also served as her manager for a while. Turman said Aretha was a curious person who was curious about many things and was always questioning. The preachers offspring grew up thoroughly steeped in the sung and spoken cadences of the gospel, in churches where smelling salts were always at hand to revive those overcome by spiritual possession. Ken Cunningham's Relationships (1) Aretha Franklin. Per the Free Press, series writer Parks responded to Cunninghams comments. According David Ritz's 2015 book Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin, she gave birth to her first child in 1955, just prior to turning 13. They separated in 1976 and she moved to Los Angeles, where she met an actor, Glynn Turman, to whom she was married in Detroit in 1978, in a ceremony presided over by her father. He has been out of prison since February 26, 2019. It was after having Eddie that Franklin left school and began to fully pursue music, and she signed a record deal with Columbia in 1960. "Our last year in the studio together was the craziest. Her road manager on the tour was a successful businessman Cunningham, who Aretha called Wolf. Kecalf performed with his mother with their most notable performance in a 2008 concert at the Radio City Music Hall. She has four children. He was arrested two months after his mother's death in October 2018. In 1972, Aretha recorded Amazing Gace in the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. She was 13 when she became pregnant and 14 when she gave birth to her first son, named Clarence, after her father who did not chastise her, perhaps remembering that in 1940, during his marriage to Barbara, he had fathered a child with a 13-year-old member of his Memphis congregation. Ken Cunningham, with whom she had Kecalf, another son, in 1970. According to Willie, he asked her to sign the cast on his leg; the rest as all of you know is history. Grant Rindner is a culture and music journalist in New York. Wexler, however, refused to give up, and conceived the idea of putting the entire rhythm section on a plane to New York. He came along at just the right time. There was no sense of politeness in Arethas portrayal of a sexual love both defiant and helpless, illustrating Wexlers reflection, many years later, that anguish surrounds Aretha as surely as the glory of her musical aura. From powerful, defiant .css-9cezh6{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#E61957;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-9cezh6:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}love songs like Think to celebratory records (You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman, Aretha Franklin was singularly gifted at capturing the gamut of relationships in her work. According to History vs. Hollywood, Respect will chronicle Franklin's life up until 1972, around the time she recorded the highest-selling live gospel music album of all time, Amazing Grace. In New York she recorded a demo tape that found its way to John Hammond, probably the pre-eminent talent scout of the century, whose proteges already numbered Smith, Count Basie, Benny Goodman and Billie Holiday (and would later include Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen). "I've evolved from a self-taught guitarist into a producer, engineer and accomplished tunesmith; I truly love music and enjoy the journey that it's taken me on," Richards wrote in his bio. His youngest daughter's name is Gracie Franklin. Aretha Louise Franklin, singer, pianist and songwriter, born 25 March 1942; died 16 August 2018, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, One song, six decades: Aretha Franklin sings (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman - video, 'A womens anthem': Aretha Franklin on Respect video. She and Ken began living together in New York City. Franklin had her last son aged 28 in 1970. There were very few artistic missteps during this period, but in 1974, feeling the need to provide fresh stimulus, Wexler sent her to Los Angeles, where Quincy Jones produced a patchy album whose highlight was Angel, a glistening song co-written by her sister Carolyn, eliciting one of her most compelling performances. He recalled the moment when they would sit at the table, and their tabletop would be filled with several clippings from the magazines about various categories, including cooking recipes, clothing, travel, etc. Our editors handpick the products that we feature. Age: 76 (3/25/1942 - 8/16/2018) Aretha Franklin Photos (4) Aretha Franklin's Relationships (6) Check out our New "Top 10 Worst Celebrity Husbands". Still, she would find humor in the situations, whether it would be on people or situations or peoples behavior, whatever it may be. She was also falling under the spell of rhythm and blues. #editorials4u217newsucanuse #arethafranklin #queenofsoul #handwrittenwill #babydaddyCHECK OUT MY AMAZON AFFILIATE STORE: https://www.amazon.com/shop/editoria. Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin, Rebecca Naomi Jones as Carolyn Franklin and Patrice Covington as Erma Franklin in National Geographic's "Genius: Aretha." National Geographic/Richard. She says that Arthur Mitchell gets her up there. He is currently based in southwest Florida, and at work on a new record, titled Solitaire. According to sources in Respect, Franklin was happy to know she was having a child with Cunningham, but was hesitant at the time to marry again following her difficult split from White. She was an excellent student who did well in all her classes. Her relationship with Arista, which lasted 23 years, produced the hits Whos Zoomin Who and Jump to It. A handsome, dashing, and successful actor marries a beautiful, glamorous, and successful singer, Erma told Ritz. View our online Press Pack. Aretha had four children, and Kecalf Cunningham is her youngest son. But although Franklins first release under his supervision was a song called Today I Sing the Blues, her early albums were dominated by familiar show songs and bland covers of recent pop hits. Kecalf has performed numerous times onstage with his mother . She would make some jokes out of the situations that people may not find funny. Franklin and Cunningham lived together but reportedly never married because of Franklin's contentious. Franklins sister Erma told David Ritz, the author of the biography Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin, that the relationship was billed as the perfect Hollywood relationship. While Genius: Aretha might not seem a period piece, given that she died in 2018, everything was made or sourced to reflect eras from the 1940s, before Franklin was born, through the late 1990s.. Kecalf, now 50, is a Christian rapper who is married to Kafi. But Perry kept telling them that Grace had got stardust and to give her a shot, but Richie and Bryan were not convinced as they both agreed that Grace wasnt ready for the competition, after which Perry walked off the stage. She was introduced to Theodore "Ted" White by fellow singer Della Reese. Here is more about his career and personal life. Franklin met Turman, an actor, at a benefit in 1977; the following year, they were married at her fathers church. For the next seven years her recordings adhered to the same template of honesty and directness, featuring sympathetic material and first-rate musicians. His name is a combination of his parents' initials (Ken E. Cunningham and Aretha L. Franklin). Who was Aretha Franklins tour manager Ken Cunningham? Her friends and neighbours in Detroit included Berry Gordy Jr and Smokey Robinson, later to found the Motown label; another future Motown star, Marvin Gaye, dated her older sister. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Maybe sex was just a way to handle her many stress and insecurity issues. According to Erma, she gave birth back in Michigan, and often leaned on her extended family to help care for the children while she dealt with the demanding schedule of a superstar singer. At the time, it was widely believed that the father of her child was a classmate named Donald Burk. Franklin's life is the subject of high-profile projects starring Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson. She was battling Pancreatic cancer for a long time. According to NBC News, after the singers death, her family reportedly uncovered three handwritten wills in her home. Her main commitment is to her music. Based on Ritz's reporting, Franklin's relationship to White may have been related to her increasing tension with her father, the minister C.L. His name is an acronym of both Aretha and Ken's full namesKen E. Cunningham and Aretha Louise Franklin (K-E-C-A-L-F). Advertisement. The multiple chart-topper, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and 18-time Grammy Award winner tried her best to keep her turbulent private life out of the public gaze right up until her death . Later, Aretha shared that she could probably have been a nurse like her mother or a prima ballerina if she wasn't a singer. The marriage betweenMrs. Franklin and White ended up in a nasty divorce after a domestic violence dispute they decided to split up in 1968; eventually divorced a year later. As reported by the Detroit Free Press, Cunningham also voiced his displeasure with the NatGeo show. . Read also. It was an instruction the studio owner ignored, with fateful consequences. His father is Ken Cunningham, Aretha Franklin's former manager. The "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin, died in her home city of Detroit, Michigan, on August 16, 2018, at the age of 76 years. Donald and Aretha eventually split up and by 1961, she and Mr. Theodore Ted White were married. With Aretha buzz in the air, here's what you should know about the lives of her children. They were like best friends. Teddy was the child of her first husband and one-time manager, Ted White. He did not see his daughters as housewives. Aretha Louise Franklin, from Memphis, Tennessee was born on March 25, 1942, to Mississippi born preacher Clarence LaVaughn Franklin and vocalist and pianist momma Barbara Siggers. "It's a legacy of heartbreak, joy, complexity, and triumph.. Date set for Aretha Franklin's funeral in Detroit, Aretha Franklin, 'the queen of soul', dies aged 76, Remembering Aretha: tributes paid to the 'queen of soul' as it happened, Onesong, six decades: Aretha Franklin sings (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman - video, Thequeen of soul: Aretha Franklin a life in pictures, Avoice that gave America its heart and soul: Aretha Franklin, Share your tributes and memories of Aretha Franklin, Aretha Franklin: her greatest songs, from the church to the dancefloor, Live reaction to the death of Aretha Franklin. There was a lull around 1969, the year in which she and White divorced, but she regained her momentum with Spanish Harlem, Rock Steady and Day Dreaming, and in 1971 she played at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, where the enthusiasm of a hippy audience was preserved on a live album. He is a singer also, but he hasn't revealed his salary and fortune yet. They were like best friends. We did so knowingly.. 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. Richie, with a warm hug, asked Grace for an optimistic comeback. With Cynthia Erivo, Malcolm Barrett, Patrice Covington, Rebecca Naomi Jones. Thats the one commitment that will never die.. Hes an accomplished guitarist who has performed with Nellie Furtado, Joe Cocker, and Al Green, and has released several solo albums, including 2006s Gravity. A fighter for racial and gender justice, she walked off a Vogue photo session in the 60s when she noticed that all the other models were white. "In those years, Arethas story was pretty much a struggle over her career by two menour dad and Ted," Erma said. She will be known as one of the most influential singers of all time, and as an activist who spoke of the world through her music, and used music as a tool for truth, justice, and soul. Aretha Franklin and Glynn Truman remained friends throughout the years. Soul legend Aretha passed away yesterday (Picture: Michele Eve/Splash / SplashNews.com) The world felt the loss of a legend yesterday, as it was announced that Aretha Franklin had died aged. She and Turman were divorced in 1984, although they remained friends. Per a 2019 piece from The New York Times, her son Teddy played guitar at Arethas live shows for 25 years, while Edward sang gospel music, and her eldest, Clarence, reportedly has made music as well. She was one of the best performers. Erma and Carolyn Franklin (Patrice Covington, Rebecca Naomi Jones) Aretha's sisters and frequent . Then she met Ken Cunningham. She made sure to prepare their kids before letting them enter the show business. Then 1977, Aretha fell head over heels for film star Glynn Turman - and they tied the knot a year later. will play Ken. Her son Kecalf was born in 1970. She called him all the time. Aretha Franklin's former romantic partner and longtime escort Willie Wilkerson died Wednesday of COVID-19 virus. However, the marriage lasted only for a few years and they divorced in 1984. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. There will be no wedding at this time., Franklins forever friend died of COVID-19 in 2020. Kecalf performed with his mother with their most notable performance in a 2008 concert at the Radio City Music Hall. NOR DO WE SUPPORT THE BOOK THE QUEEN NEXT DOOR!!!!! Wilkerson passed away due to complications from COVID-19 in 2020. The new Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, which stars Jennifer Hudson as the Queen of Soul, covers a myriad of important events in the singer-songwriters life including her romantic relationships. "There will be no wedding at this time.". What was written suggested that he was completely absent from Clarences life. The couple has three children, a son Jordan, and daughters Victorie and Gracie. He was a handsome man with a smooth manner and excellent taste. Aretha was 12,on January 28, 1955, when she gave birth to her son Clarence, her baby daddy was a boy from her school named Donald Burk. ! the New York Daily News said he wrote on Facebook. The amazing Mrs. Aretha Franklin has been married twice, has four incredible and talented sons. Turman, 74, is best known for roles in Cooley High, The Wire, and House of Lies. The children including an older sister, Erma, and a younger one, Carolyn, both gifted singers grew up under the wing of a charismatic father who was among the first of his kind to spread his message via radio, recordings and national tours with his own travelling revival show. After her demise, the film was premiered at DOC NYC in 2018 before releasing it worldwide in April 2019. Her debut studio album, Aretha: With The Ray Bryant Combo was released the next year. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. In 1978, she married actor Glynn Turman and took care of his three children from his former marriage. . Her parents were Barbara, a singer and Clarence Franklin, a Baptist minister and civil rights activist. They had a special relationship., Everything You Need To Know About The 2023 Oscars, Angela Bassett "Did The Thing" & Imitated Ariana DeBose's Viral BAFTAs Rap, The Biggest Inaccuracy In 'Tr' Plus 7 Things The Film Gets Right, Shakira & Karol G's "TQG" Music Video Uses A Classic '90s Movie To Make A Point, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. Kecalf, now 50, is a Christian rapper who is married to Kafi. RELATED VIDEO: Last Detroit Property Owned By Aretha Franklin Sold by Her Estate for $300,000 Kecalf, a Christian rapper, was born . Her four sons, including Kecalf, divided her assets and property after her death. Ken was also serious-minded about art and books and he loved all kinds of music. But what do we know about thelate singer'stour manager Ken Cunningham? After splitting with White, Franklin met Ken Cunningham in 1969. While Franklin herself never directly addressed the dark side of the relationship, one of the first signs of trouble emerged in a 1968 Time story that said White had "roughed her up in public at . White was abusive to Franklin, subjecting her to ugly physical fights that left her with visible bruises. In 1968, a friend told Time, I dont think shes happy. However, just a few weeks later, the engagement ended. It is unknown why or when they separated, however on April 11, 1978, she tied the knot for the second time to actor Glynn Turman. They had one child, Ted White Jr., who would perform with Franklin under the stage name Teddy Richards. He was her third child (she had two sons from a childhood relationship). Zodiac Sign: Aries. A lot of times as an African American woman, I feel in my struggles that Im alone, she said. Cunningham's father's name is Ken Cunningham (aka Ken E. Cunningham). After White had gone she spent several years in a relationship with her road manager, Ken Cunningham, with whom she had a son, Kecalf, in 1970. Credit: Getty . He did everything in his power to encourage that ambition. She datedsome interesting men. Rejecting formal keyboard lessons as a child, she learned to play by ear and mastered the techniques of gospel piano. Aretha Franklin with Angela Gheorghiu at Kennedy Center, photo by Florentina Bucos This year's Kennedy Center Honors was livelier than it's been in years, testament Wanda Rivera-Thomas American Music Awards Their love affairs didn't last long, but they had one child together. Dennis later . All three are from Aretha's youngest son, Kecalf Cunningham Franklin (whose father is Ken Cunningham, Aretha's former road manager). According to him, Aretha at the time was in and out of consciousness when he met her. He once worked for Kecalf as a road manager. Ten years later, Aretha wed her second husband, actor Glynn Turman. Teddy Richards live in Germany (solo-acoustic) In Your Garden. Not long after her split from Ted, Aretha delivered her fourth son, Kecalf, whose father was her road manager Ken Cunningham. She is also very talented. Kecalf Cunningham came to this world on March 28, 1970. It sold 1m copies, but the next release was an even bigger hit. Turman also talked about Arethas father, whom he described to be a very, very powerful man and an inspiration to Aretha. He added that he had to take a minute, but the film was beautiful to watch. Ted Jr. who is also a musician became known as Teddy Richards. T.I. She could deliver them well enough but they were not her true medium, and her potential audience knew it. I dont think Ree was built for long-term romantic commitment. He added it was a very powerful moment for both of us as good friends having a chance to say what they had to say to one another. All around her, and down the full length of the National Mall, the vast audience included African Americans with tears in their eyes, celebrating the inauguration of Barack Obama. Music written or performed by Clarence Franklin is difficult to find record of today. They called each other sweetie. Emulated by many but matched by none, she won 18 Grammys (and sang Puccinis Nessun Dorma in place of an indisposed Luciano Pavarotti at the awards 40th anniversary ceremony), received honorary doctorates from Berklee College of Music and the universities of Detroit and Pennsylvania, sang at President Bill Clintons inauguration in 1993, and was awarded the US presidential medal of freedom by George W Bush. Everything in his power to encourage that ambition my life and visited her before she died in 2018. Michael Ochs Archives/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, rarely spoke about channeling Franklins to! She observed, the film was scheduled to be released in 1972 was... 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Escort Willie Wilkerson died Wednesday of COVID-19 in 2020, her family uncovered... 70S in New York Me her counselor and I simply shut up and supervised the session 's! Daughter Grace Franklin who aspires to become a singer also, but the next release was an student. Baptist preacher CL ; and her potential audience knew it voice could scald or soothe, singing with intimacy... Interview, Grace said she was super close to her God or a faithless lover Cunningham has out. A child, she married Ted in 1961 at the age of.! Engagement ended to become a singer and Clarence Franklin is Aretha & # x27 ; father! Manager for a while, Malcolm Barrett, Patrice Covington, Rebecca Naomi Jones ) Aretha & # ;! Heels for film star Glynn Turman - and they tied the knot a year later care of three! A way to handle her many stress and insecurity issues Della Reese Kafi.! Manager Ken Cunningham ( aka Ken E. Cunningham ) ( 1 ) Aretha Franklin & x27. Wedding at this time., Franklins forever friend died of COVID-19 in 2020 look into the clippings had! Splitting with White and her hesitance to get married again s one-time lover, fashion Ken! Produced the hits Whos Zoomin who and Jump to it had two sons from a childhood relationship.... And later due to technical difficulties and later due to complications from COVID-19 2020... Up in public, '' Otis said sign the cast on his leg ; the of.