By Zaquoya Rogers 
Aretha Franklin is a household name and trailblazer of the 60s. In 1987, she became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Born on March 25 in Memphis Tennessee, Franklin lived with her father, who is a well-known pastor and gospel singer, and her sisters. They toured the gospel circuit singing and befriended celebrities such as Sam Cooke, Clara Wade, and even got signed by John Hammond to Columbia. After the tour came a series of hits such as “Today I Sing The Blues”, “Without the one you love” and many more. However, during her stardom and fame she dealt with many issues such as domestic violence and other personal tragedies, but Franklin was still able to make hits and progress as the superstar that she is. Aretha Franklin, created 41 studio albums and 6 live albums in all. Later in her career, Franklin created her own record label named, World Class Records and created it exclusively for gospel music. Aretha is a survivor, superstar, successful black woman, and most of all… a QUEEN.