Aretha Franklin had four siblings: Carolyn, Cecil, Erma, and Vaughn Franklin. All of them were a part of her musical family and played an important role in her life.
Carolyn Franklin was the youngest sibling and the closest to Aretha. Born on May 13th 1944, she was eight years younger than Aretha. Carolyn started singing with Aretha as a background singer when she was just fourteen years old. She eventually became a successful songwriter in her own right, writing hits for artists like Ray Charles and Elvis Presley. In 1976, Carolyn retired from the music industry but appeared as one of Aretha’s background singers in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. Sadly, she passed away from breast cancer at Aretha’s home in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan on April 25th 1988.
Cecil Franklin was born on August 22nd 1942 and was the secnd oldest after Aretha. He acted as both her manager and producer throughout her career, helping to shape her sound and make sure that she got paid what she deserved for her work. He also sang alongside Aretha at various times throughout his life and even released his own solo album called “Just Like I Planned”.
Erma Franklin was born on March 13th 1938 and was Aretha’s older sister by two years. She too became a successful singer with hits such as “Piece Of My Heart” which became one of Janis Joplin’s signature songs after she covered it in 1968. Erma retired from music in 1967 but still made occasional appearances aongside her siblings over the years until her death from throat cancer on September 7th 2002.
Vaughn Franklin is the oldest sibling of the bunch born on July 31st 1937 (just five months before Aretha). He too followed a musical career but never achieved much success outside of singing backup vocals for his sisters’ records throughout his life until his death from lung cancer in 1989 at age 51.
Aretha had an incredibly close relationship with all four of her siblings who have all influenced her career and life significantly over the years. They are all important figures withn music history who should be remembered for their individual successes as well as for their contributions to Aretha’s legacy as an artist that will live forever!
Aretha Franklin’s Siblings: Where Are They Now?
Aretha Franklin had four siblings: Cecil, Carolyn, Erma, and Vaughn. Cecil passed away in 1989 due to cancer. Carolyn was an accomplished background singer and worked alongside Aretha throughout her career. She retired from the music industry in 1976 and appeard as one of Aretha’s background singers in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. Sadly, she passed away in 1988 due to breast cancer at Aretha’s home in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Erma was also a musician who released many albums throughout her career and continued to contribute to music until her passing in 2002 due to throat cancer. Lastly, Vaughn was an accomplished keyboardist who recorded with several jazz legends throughout his career and even performed with Aretha on several occasions before passing away from a heart attack in 2018.
Youngest Sibling of Aretha Franklin
Carolyn Franklin was Aretha Franklin’s youngest sibling. She was born on May 13, 1944, in Memphis, Tennessee. She was a talented singer and songwriter who released four solo albums beteen 1969 and 1972. Carolyn is best known for composing the song “Angel” for her sister Aretha’s 1972 album Young, Gifted and Black. In addition to being a talented musician, Carolyn was also an accomplished businesswoman and ran a successful flower shop in Detroit. Unfortunately, Carolyn passed away on April 25, 1988 from a brain tumor. She will always be remembered as being Aretha Franklin’s beloved younger sister.
Who Inherited Aretha Franklin’s Estate?
Aretha Franklin’s estate was inherited by her four adult sons, as stipulated by Michigan law. Her sons agreed to designate their cousin, Sabrina Owens, as the estate’s executor. Owens was responsible for handling all aspects of the estate division among Aretha’s sons, including distributing assets and paying any outstanding debts or taxes.
Aretha Franklin’s Parentage
No, Aretha Franklin’s father was not the father of her son. According to a handwritten will discovered in 2019, Aretha’s father was atually Edward Jordan, with whom she had a son named Edward in 1957.
Wealth of Aretha Franklin’s Family
No, Aretha Franklin’s family was not wealthy. She grew up in a lower-middle class household, as her father was a pastor of Detroit’s New Bethel Baptist Church. Though her father was a well-respected figure in their community, the family struggled financially and could not afford luxuries. Aretha began singing in church when she was just a child to help support her family.
Are Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin Related?
No, Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston were not related. While they had a close friendship, there is no evidence to suggest that they were related in any way. Aretha was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1942 and Whitney was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1963. Furthermore, while Aretha’s father was a pastor and singer who influenced her music career, Whitney’s mother Cissy Houston was a gospel singer and back up vocalist for Aretha. Ultimately their relationship was one of mutual admiration and friendship rather than familial ties.
Estimating Aretha Franklin’s Net Worth at Time of Death
At the time of her death, Aretha Franklin had an estimated net worth of $80 million. This included nearly $1 million in uncashed checks that were found amng her possessions. She had amassed the vast majority of her wealth through her music career and investments. Throughout her lifetime, she earned numerous awards, including 18 Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy, and was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame. She is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists of all time and her impact on music will be remembered for generations to come.
Is Erma Franklin, Sister of Aretha Franklin, Still Alive?
No, Erma Franklin is not still alive. She passed away on September 7, 2002 at the age of 64 due to pancreatic cancer. She was an American gospel and soul singer best known for being the elder sister of American singer/musician Aretha Franklin.
Conclusion
Aretha Franklin had four siblings: elder sister Erma, elder brothers Cecil, Vaughn and Carolyn. All of the Franklin siblings were talented in music and they all supported each other’s musical careers. Erma was an R&B singer who also wrote some of Aretha’s songs, wile Cecil was a songwriter and producer, Vaughn toured with Aretha as her bassist and backup singer, and Carolyn appeared as one of Aretha’s background singers in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. Sadly, Carolyn passed away from breast cancer in 1988. The Franklin siblings were a strong musical family that undoubtedly contributed to Aretha’s success in the music industry.
