A frank examination of Aretha Franklin, Mark Bego's definitivebiography traces her career accomplishments from her beginningsas a twelve-year-old member of a church choir in the early1950s, to recording her first album at the age of fourteen and signinga major recording contract at eighteen, right up through herheadline-grabbing 2010 health scare.Originally positioned to become a gospel star in her father's Detroitchurch, Aretha had a privileged urban upbringing—stars suchas Mahalia Jackson, Dinah Washington, and Sam Cooke regularlyvisited her father, Rev. C. L. Franklin. It wasn't long before she wascreating a string of hits, from “Respect” to “Freeway of Love,” andbecoming one of the most beloved singers of the twentieth century. <p>This <em>New York Times </em>bestselling author's detailed research includesin-person interviews with record producers Jerry Wexler, ClydeOtis, and Clive Davis, Aretha's first husband, several of her singingstar contemporaries, and a rare one-on-one session with Arethaherself. Every album, every accolade, and every heart-breakingpersonal drama is examined with clarity and neutrality, allowingFranklin's colorful story to unfold on its own. With two teenagepregnancies and an abusive first marriage, drinking problems, battleswith her weight, the murder of her father, and tabloid wars,Aretha's life has been a roller coaster. This freshly updated and expandedbiography will give readers a clear understanding of whatmade Aretha Franklin the “Queen of Soul.”</p>