As we continue to celebrate the life and legacy of our beloved Aretha Franklin, many interesting details have surfaced about her and her fam’ that many never knew. This go ’round, the topic of her famous pops, Rev. C.L. Franklin (pictured above with his two daughters), and what Ray Charles once revealed about him, will probably have you going, “Say what now?!!”
At least that’s what it did for us when we first found out. Anywho, Ray Charles once exposed shocking details of the wild sex parties Rev. Franklin reportedly had with his fellow church folk. Don’t take our word for it though, see what Mr. Charles revealed in a biographical book…
Ray Charles Spilled The Beans About Aretha’s Dad
In an interview for the biography, “Respect: The Life Of Aretha Franklin,” Ray Charles chopped it up with the book’s author, David Ritz, about his days hanging out with his friend, C.L. Franklin.
Aretha’s dad was a well respected preacher, who rubbed elbows with soul artists- like Ray Charles, Billy Preston and several Motown stars- as well as civil rights activists and spiritual leaders- including Dr, Martin Luther King, with whom he was great friends . Many stars oftentimes visited C.L.’s Detroit home and along the way, the reverend developed a reputation for being the ‘promiscuous preacher’ who reportedly cheated on his wife (Aretha’s mother) many times.
Back then, Ray Charles was known for being a wild cat who had plenty of women, but he admitted that even he was outdone by the alleged sex parties C.L. and his church members threw. According to Ritz, Charles says that when he visited C.L.’s New Bethel Church in the after hours, he realized that the church was pretty much a worshipping spot by day, but a haven for sex orgies by night:
“When it came to pure heart singing, they were motherfu***s. When it came to pure sex, they were wilder than me – and that’s saying something. In those days I had a thing for orgies, but I had to be the only cat in the room with two or three chicks.”
“The gospel people didn’t think that way,” Charles continued. “The cats liked it with the cats and the chicks liked it with the chicks and no one minded mixing it up this way or that. I got a kick outta seeing how God’s people were going for it hard and heavy every which way. I was just surprised to see how loose they were.”
Singer, Billy Preston, Agreed With Ray
“Nothing From Nothing” soul singer, Billy Preston, also backed up Ray’s claims in the book. Preston was cool with C.L. Franklin back then and here’s what he told Ritz about that time:
“It was the church crowd where the vibe was wide open. It was anything goes. In the community outside the church, gay men were called sissies. But inside the church, a lot of the music was created by gay men. In the church you were almost proud to be part of the gay elite of musicians.”
Franklin Family Controversies
There have always been controversies surrounding C.L. Franklin. Aretha joined her father’s traveling gospel ministry at age 12. However, according to what her brother, Cecil, stated in the Ritz’s biography, she and the rest of his siblings were all exposed to some form of drinking and/or drug activity while living with their father, who raised them as a single parent after their mom left him:
Via Daily Mail: [Cecil] admitted that his father [C.L. Franklin] and siblings had all operated in a world of stimulants. “Whether it’s wine, whiskey or weed, the stuff has always been around us.”
Throughout the years, many have wondered if Aretha’s past issues with men- such as having a baby at 12 and another at 14 years old, abusive relationships, and more- were the result of the fast life she witnessed under the helm of her famous pops. That’s a valid assumption, but one thing is for certain, throughout it all, Aretha found a way to reach a level of greatness that very few get to see in their lifetimes. Her life story, and that of her renowned Father, are reminders that celebrities have attained greatness in their careers. But that doesn’t make them perfect people. They’re simply perfectly flawed human beings, just like the rest of us.
