Aretha Franklin is an American soul, jazz, gospel and rhythm & blues singer, pianist and songwriter. She is frequently referred to as "The Queen Of Soul".Civil rights activist alongside Martin Luther King, fighter, diva and spokeswoman for an entire people, Aretha Franklin is considered the most influential African-American singer of the 20th century. Her albums I Never Loved a Man (1967), Lady Soul (1968) and Young, Gifted & Black (1972) redefined the codes of contemporary music, popularizing soul music with Ray Charles, a blend of R&B and gospel.