Aretha Franklin

At 14, she performed and recorded "Precious Lord" before her father's congregation, Detroit's New Bethel Baptist Church. Columbia Records released her first album, The Great Aretha Franklin, in 1960. In 1972, she had a small role in the TV show Room 222 . Made her film debut in 1980's The Blues Brothers, singing "Think."  In 1986, Michigan law makers declared her voice the state's greatest natural resource. In 1987, she was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.… Show more In 1994, she was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2005, President George W. Bush awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2006, she became the first female artist to be honored by the United Negro College Fund with the Award of Excellence. Sang at the inauguration of President Barack Obama in 2009. Has been awarded honorary doctorates from Berklee College of Music, Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania. ~ Rovi

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