by Aretha Franklin: A Legendary Singer Who Didn’t Court Fame for Her Children
Aretha Franklin was one of the most iconic and influential singers of all time. With hits like “Respect,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” and “Chain of Fools,” she became known as the “Queen of Soul” and left an indelible mark on music history. However, while Franklin herself achieved immense fame and success in the music industry from a young age, she was not known for courting the same level of fame and spotlight for her children. In fact, it seems Aretha Franklin took a different approach when it came to her children and their careers or public personas. Here are some potential reasons why:
Protecting Privacy
Aretha Franklin first entered the music industry as a teenage gospel singer in the 1950s. By the time she was 20 years old in 1967, she had already released multiple successful albums and was well on her way to superstardom. However, being a child star in the public eye comes with unique pressures and challenges. Fame at a young age often means losing privacy and a normal childhood experience.
Franklin herself grew up in the church and was singing professionally from a very young age. While this jumpstarted her legendary career, it also meant she spent her formative years in the spotlight. As a parent, Franklin may have wanted to protect her own children from some of the difficulties of navigating fame and the music industry at such a young age. Shielding them from excessive publicity and the loss of privacy that comes with child stardom could have been a priority.
Franklin had four sons – Clarence, Edward, Ted White Jr., and Kecalf Cunningham – between 1957 and 1964. By the time her children were born, she was already an established star. But she seemed to make a conscious effort to keep her family life private and out of the public eye as much as possible. This suggests Franklin wanted to give her sons a more normal upbringing without the intense scrutiny and pressures that come with having famous parents in the entertainment business.
Focus on Education
In addition to protecting their privacy, some celebrity parents choose to prioritize education for their children rather than pushing them immediately into the family business or the entertainment industry. It’s possible Aretha Franklin took a similar approach.
While she was touring and recording hit albums throughout the 1960s and 70s, Franklin raised her sons in Detroit, Michigan away from the Hollywood scene. Emphasizing the importance of school and further education for her children was likely a big part of that. Rather than encouraging them to follow in her musical footsteps from a young age, Franklin may have wanted her sons to have stable careers and make well-informed life choices as adults.
In interviews later in life, Franklin’s sons have reflected on having a fairly normal upbringing in Detroit, attending local schools rather than being homeschooled on the road like many child stars. Their mother stressed the importance of education over trying to launch entertainment careers as kids. This focus on schooling and delaying music industry involvement until adulthood is another potential reason Franklin’s children didn’t experience the same level of fame as their superstar mom.
Individual Paths
Not every child of famous parents grows up to have the same level of success or even work in the same field as their mother or father. Encouraging individual interests and passions, rather than pushing a specific career path, is another way Franklin may have approached her children’s futures without fame and the music industry in mind.
While Franklin herself was a musical prodigy discovered at a young age, not all of her sons showed the same early talents or inclinations. Allowing each child to find their own way and interests, rather than attempting to mold them into mini versions of herself, was likely important to Franklin as a parent.
A few of Franklin’s sons have dabbled in music professionally as adults. Son Kecalf Cunningham released a few singles in 2004-2005 under the name K.D. Cunningham. Son Ted White Jr. is a jazz musician and composer. But none have achieved anything close to the superstardom level success of their legendary mother. This suggests Franklin didn’t try to push a musical career or fame onto her children if it wasn’t something they were passionate about independently. She may have been more focused on allowing them to find fulfilling individual paths.
Unspoken Family Guidelines?
While Aretha Franklin didn’t overtly or publicly court fame for her children, it’s possible there were some unspoken understandings or guidelines within the family about pursuing the entertainment industry. As the children of one of the most iconic singers in history, no doubt the pull of following in her footsteps was there. But Franklin seemed to want to shield her sons from the downsides of childhood stardom and the loss of privacy it entails.
Encouraging education over early careers and allowing each child freedom to find their own interests were likely part of any implicit “rules” Franklin had for her sons navigating life in the shadow of such a famous mother. She probably wanted them to have as normal an upbringing as possible outside of the Hollywood spotlight before making their own choices about professional paths. While some dabbled in music, none fully committed or achieved the same acclaim, suggesting Franklin’s influence steered them in different directions initially.
Overall, Aretha Franklin’s approach to her children’s lives and careers differed greatly from many celebrity parents who actively court fame for their offspring. She didn’t publicly or overtly push them into entertainment or try to launch their fame from a young age. Factors like protecting privacy, prioritizing education over early careers, and encouraging individual interests seem to have been part of Franklin’s philosophy in raising her sons outside of the fame and pressures she navigated professionally. This likely played a role in none of her children experiencing the same level of superstardom she achieved as the legendary “Queen of Soul.”
