I Say a Little Prayer –
August 17, 2018 – But Aretha’s life was far from sunshine and rainbows, and amid a wildly successful career spanning nearly six decades, the singer struggled with alcoholism, abusive marriages and her own massive insecurities.
A PROMISCUOUS FATHER
Aretha’s father, Clarence LaVaughn Franklin was a travelling preacher from Mississippi, while her mother, Barbara Siggers, was an accomplished singer and pianist. As Aretha was growing up, Mr Franklin developed a form of celebrity status for his emotive preaching style, earning thousands of dollars to deliver sermons in various churches across the country. He would later become the girl’s first music manager and help her forge the early stages of her path to musical fame. But Aretha’s home life was not a stable one.
