Aretha Franklin’s Kids: Clarence, Edward, Teddy, and Kecalf

by Tasha Mayberry

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Aretha Franklin was the Queen of Soul, but she was also the matriarch of a large family, including her four sons: Clarence, Edward, Teddy, and Kecalf. Though the “Respect” singer was known for her privacy and rarely spoke about her boys, they were an integral part of her life. “She’s not atypical in her privacy, she’s just extreme,” biographer David Ritz told PEOPLE in 2018. “I think her strategy for emotional survival was idealizing her life in general. When you idealize things, you don’t have to face the tough realities.”

Clarence Franklin, 70 years old

Aretha had her first son, Clarence, on January 28, 1955, in Detroit, Michigan. She named him after her father, Clarence LaVaughn Franklin, a minister and civil rights activist. At the time, Aretha was still a preteen and never publicly disclosed who Clarence’s father was. Years later, in a handwritten will, she confirmed that Edward Jordan Sr. was the father of her two older children but made no contributions to their lives—financially, materially, or spiritually.

Edward Franklin, 68 years old

On January 22, 1957, Aretha had her second son, Edward, in Detroit, Michigan. After his birth, Aretha left school to focus on her music career, which meant Eddie spent a lot of time with his grandmother, Big Mama. We were part of that generation of young female singers who sacrificed time with our kids to focus on our careers. We did so knowingly,” Aretha’s oldest sister shared in Respect. “We also did so with heavy guilt.” Eddie later followed in his mother’s musical footsteps, becoming a gospel singer and even recording a cover of “This Christmas” with Aretha.

Teddy Richards, 59 years old

In 1961, at age 19, Aretha married Ted White, who soon became her manager. They had their son, Ted White Jr., known professionally as Teddy Richards, in February 1964 in Detroit. However, just a few years later, Aretha divorced Ted amid reports of domestic abuse (a 1968 TIME story revealed he had “roughed her up” more than once). While most of Aretha’s children lived with her in Detroit, Teddy spent much of his childhood with his father. Despite this, he remained close to his mother and spent decades playing backup guitar in her band.

Kecalf Franklin, 54 years old

Aretha’s youngest son, Kecalf Cunningham (also known as Kecalf Franklin), was born on March 28, 1970. His name combines his mother’s initials, A.L.F., with his father Ken E. Cunningham’s. Ken was Aretha’s road manager at the time. Kecalf pursued a career as a gospel rapper and performed alongside his mother on stage several times. He is also the father of several children, who, like their famous grandmother, are talented singer-songwriters.

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