View Ken Cunningham's Family Tree and History, Ancestry and Genealogy. -EW.com. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. eventAction: 'click_adunit' Growing up, her parents, Barbara and Clarence LaVaughn, separated, and Franklin, who was close to her mom, found it difficult to cope in her absence. During a performance at the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos, the singer announced her marriage to Glynn. She gave birth to her first son when she was not even 13. Her father was a Baptist preacher, while her mother was a gospel singer. During the same years, she recorded her first live album Aretha Live at Fillmore West. And then you no longer have a father, you have a manager or a husband, now that's your manager." She also did a cameo in the musical The Blues Brothers in the same year. Franklin and Cunningham lived together but reportedly never married because of Franklin's contentious split. Ten years later, Aretha wed her second husband, actor Glynn Turman and became the stepmother to Turman's three children from a previous marriage. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ Aretha was married to her second husband, actor Glynn Turman, from 1978 to 1984. Aretha's friend Ruth Bowen said that she would always tell interviewers about her happy home life, but the reality was much different. The couple was introduced by one of Aretha's sons when he grabbed Glynn's attention saying: "Glynn Turman, my mother loves you! Did Aretha Franklin marry Ken Cunningham? The couple was divorced later that year but remained close friends until Aretha's final days when Glynn went to visit her at her bedside. At the age of 14, Franklins talent for singing was recognized by her father who started managing her, to get her a recording deal. The couple divorced in 1984. She named him Clarence after her father. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ As Franklin once said, "Falling out of love is like losing weight. pg.acq.push(function() { Before Glynn, Aretha was married to Ted White for eight years from 1961 to 1969 while he worked as her manager. It included the hit singles like Freeway of Love and Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves. While it seemed that the third time could have been the charm for Aretha when she announced her engagement to longtime companion Willie Wilkerson, eventually the 2012 engagement was called off because "things were moving too fast". The couple split in 1968 and, pregnant again, Aretha became involved with her road manager, Ken Cunningham, with whom she had Kecalf, another son, in 1970. }); MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of Unfortunately, physical violence was not something Aretha was a stranger to in her romantic relationships. Aretha married twice, first to Theodore 'Ted' White in 1961 aged 19. In February 1964 when Aretha was married to Ted, she gave birth to her third son Ted Jr, known professionally as Teddy Richards. Franklin loved her privacy despite her celebrity status and knew how to keep some personal details in the closet. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. }); Her youngest son, Kecalf, was born in April 1970 and is the child of her road manager Ken Cunningham. Who were these lovers who inspired and broke the heart of the Queen of Soul? Her first husband was Theodore White, whom she married in 1961 when she was 19 years old. },false) Between 1968 to 1976, the ex-couple was in a relationship. Not only was teenage pregnancy rare in the 1950s, but she was the child of a Baptist preacher. Aretha Franklin was married four times. In 2005, she was inducted into the UK Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. //