Clarence Franklin was the famous father of Aretha Franklin, an American singer, and civil rights activist. Clarence was a Baptist clergyman and civil rights activist in the past. Regrettably, he is no longer with us. Aretha Franklin was regarded as one of the finest vocalists of all time. Though she is no longer with us, her music will live on. She enjoyed a string of successes and was one of the best-selling musicians of all time. Throughout her career, she sold over 75 million albums.
She has received the highest honors, including the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She is also the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Aretha is also a member of the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Clarence Franklin |
| First Name | Clarence |
| Last Name | Franklin |
| Profession | Celebrity Father |
| Nationality | American |
| Birth City | Sunflower County, Mississippi |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Gender Identity | Male |
| Sexual Orientation | straight |
| Horoscope | Aquarius |
| Spouse | Alene Gaines, Barbara Siggers |
| No Of Children | 6 |
| Networth | $11 M |
| Date of Birth | 22,1915 |
Clarence had two marriages throughout his lifetime
He was formerly married to Alene Gaines. They married on October 16, 1934, and subsequently divorced in 1936. Clarence later married Barbara Siggers. On June 3, 1936, they exchanged wedding vows. They have four kids together: Erma, Cecil, Aretha, and Carolyn. Barbara has another kid from a previous relationship, Vaughn. Clarence subsequently adopted Vaughn following their marriage. Barbara moved to Buffalo, New York, with her son Vaughn after the marriage split but never divorced.
She died in 1952, at the age of 34, but Clarence did not even attend her funeral. Barbara died as a result of a heart attack. Vaughn had no idea he wasn’t Clarence’s true son since they never told him and always treated him like his own. He only found out about it later, in 1951.
Aretha Franklin avoided discussing her early pregnancy.
Aretha Franklin’s first husband was Theodore “Ted” White, sometimes known as Teddy Richards. They have a kid called Ted White Jr. together. Ted was a guitarist in his mother’s band. They divorced in 1969, after being separated in 1968. Domestic violence was the cause of the divorce. Kecalf Cunningham, her fourth child, was born shortly after. Ken Cunningham, Aretha Franklin’s road manager, was Kecalf’s father.
Aretha married again on April 11, 1978, to a prominent actor called Glynn Turman. In 1984, they divorced. Aretha Franklin subsequently became engaged to Willie Wilkerson, a Vietnam War veteran, and Detroit fireman. They were supposed to marry shortly, but they called off their engagement.
His effect on his daughter’s professional life
Aretha Franklin grew up singing gospel at his father’s church, New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, where his father was the pastor. As a child, she liked observing and listening to her father. Growing up in a gospel family, her father did allow her to listen to or perform pop music since he admired skilled people and never sought to restrict his children in any manner regarding music or anything like that, Aretha stated in a 1999 radio interview. The best performers of the day, including Nat King Cole and Art Tatum, knew Clarence and would spend time at the piano in his living room.
During an interview, Aretha Franklin said that if her father had not been a pastor, he would have been a famous singer, and it was him who urged her to pursue music despite her reluctance and continued to drive her, for which she was afterward thankful. She had grown up in the church and was unfamiliar with the Jazz scene. Nonetheless, after she arrived in New York and signed up to play at the Village Gate and the Vanguard club, she started to meet Jazz artists and eventually felt at ease with the genre.
Even when she became famous, Aretha Franklin kept herself grounded, and it was her father who reminded her to be grounded when she felt she wasn’t allowed to do any housework. During her interview with CBC’s Laurie Brown, Aretha recounted a meeting with her father in which he told her that her burgeoning celebrity did not exempt her from washing the dishes, which shocked her. She continued,
I haven’t been a celebrity since. That was just what I needed. He grounded me and gave me a sense of balance, and since then, I’ve been the woman next door rather than a celebrity.
Aretha Franklin said in an interview with CNN that her father taught her numerous things from the beginning about timing, phrasing, and coaching her in various ways. Her father had told her that one day she will sing for Kings and Queens, and she accomplished just that.
Net Worth
Clarence had a net worth of $11 million at the time of his death. Aretha Franklin had an estimated net worth of $80 million at the time of her death.
