Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She is known to her fans as the "Queen of Soul" and is also affectionately called "Sister Ree". She is renowned for her soul recordings but is also adept at jazz, rock, blues, pop, gospel, and even opera. She is widely acclaimed for her passionate, soulful vocal style, which is aided by a massive and powerful vocal range..