Aretha Franklin Net Worth 2018: What was this singer worth?
One of the most influential and most famous African American singers of all time has died today. It is sad to report that Aretha Franklin passed away this week due to an advanced stage of pancreatic cancer. Now we look back on her illustrious and see what she did in order to attain the wealth she earned before her passing. So what was Aretha Franklin net worth in 2018? What were Aretha Franklin’s salary/earnings? Read on…
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Aretha Franklin Career, Earnings, Salary
Aretha Franklin was born on March 25th, 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. She was an accomplished singer, songwriter as well as a pianist. Aretha Franklin started singing at a very young age as she usually sung in church along with her father. Her father was also a pianist, vocalist and also a preacher at her local church. At the age of five, Aretha’s family moved to Detroit, Michigan. Aretha’s parents broke up and separated very early in her life and sadly her mother died when she was only nine years old. Due to her mother’s death, Aretha and her siblings were taken care of by their grandmother. Before becoming a singer though, Aretha was in Northern High School, but later dropped out in her sophomore year.
Aretha’s father knew she was talented when she sung in church and this quickly became a good thing for her. At the tender age of 14, Aretha’s father became her manager and she started to sing on “gospel caravan” tours. It was at this time when she was only 14 years old that Aretha signed her first musical contract with JVB Records. She even had a chance to tour with Martin Luther King Jr at this time and sung at his funeral when he passed away a few years later.
Although Aretha Franklin found some initial success in the early ’60s, she did not become a household name yet. She decided to ditch Columbia Records and sign with Atlantic Records in November 1966. This gamble paid off because it was at this stage in her career that she attained the most success she will ever have. One of her signature songs during this era was ‘Respect’. The song became a hit not only because it was catchy, but it was statement for civil rights and feminism. Not to mention ‘Respect’ is a song that many aspiring singers like to sing too!
The singer continued to ride on this wave of success into the ’70s releasing hit after hit after hit. In her career, she managed to produce 20 Number 1 R&B singles from 1967 up until the twilight of her mainstream success in 1985. She released literally dozens of studio albums, live albums and compilations in her career and most of what she released had been successful. Although in her later years she did not see the same type of success at the peak of her career in the ’60s and ’70s, she was still a legend in the music industry. Many newer music fans will remember her as appearing in lots of events singing the American anthem just to name a few.
Aretha Franklin Net Worth 2018: How Much Money Did Aretha Franklin Have?
Aretha Franklin sold millions of albums and singles in her career and many of her songs are still used in many TV shows and movies. Due to the royalties she received, she never really got poor and still managed to attain a lot of wealth even up to her death in 2018. Aretha Franklin may have passed away, but her legacy will live on forever thanks to the music she gave us.
In all, we estimate Aretha Franklin net worth in 2018 at $80 million.
