Aretha Franklin was one of the most iconic and influential singers of all time. She was also a devoted mother to four children: Clarence, Edward, Teddy Richards, and Kecalf Cunningham. Although the late “Respect” artist was very private about her personal life, her children were very important to her and she loved them deeply. In this blog, we will take a closer look at Aretha Franklin’s children and their lives. We will explore their musical talents, their relationships with their mother, and their own personal legacies.
Aretha Franklin Sons Names
| Name | Birth Year |
| Clarence Franklin | 1955 |
| Edward Franklin | 1957 |
| Teddy Richards | 1964 |
| Kecalf Cunningham | 1970 |
Clarence Franklin
Franklin’s oldest son, Clarence was born when she was 12 years old in 1955. His father was believed to be Franklin’s classmate, Donald Burke according to her biographer and author of Respect: The Life of aretha franklin, David Ritz.
“I still wanted to get out and hang out with my friends,” she told Ebony in 1995 about becoming a mom so young. “I wanted to be in two places at the same time. But my grandmother helped me a lot, and my sister and my cousin. They would babysit so I could get out occasionally.”
After her death, Franklin’s family found handwritten wills in her home which instead stated that Clarence, 66, was the son of another of her classmates Edward Jordan Sr. The wills were not authenticated, according to NBC News. She named him after her own father, Clarence LaVaughn Franklin, who was a minister and civil rights activist.
Edward Franklin
Born when Franklin was 15, Edward Franklin perhaps shares a father with his older brother Clarence. Named after his father, Edward Jordan, 64, shared his mother’s singing talents and has performed on multiple occasions including in duets with Franklin.
In 2015 he sang at his grandfather Rev. C.L. Franklin’s funeral, performing his mother’s favorite gospel song “His Eye is On the Sparrow.”
According to a Detroit News report at the time, his rendition prompted a standing ovation, with many in attendance moved to tears. Edward also performed at his mother’s funeral, singing “Mercy Mercy Me” by Marvin Gaye.
Teddy White Jr.
Ted is Franklin’s son from her first marriage to Ted White. White also worked for Franklin for some time as her musical manager before their marriage ended after seven years amid reports of domestic abuse. Ted was largely raised by his father and went on to perform backing guitar for his mother for 30 years.
Under the stage name Teddy Richards, the 57-year-old has enjoyed his own success in the music industry, performing as the opening act for Seal, Lenny Kravitz and INXS. He’s also created his own solo work and plans to release his third album Solitaire in 2022.
Kecalf Cunningham
Franklin’s youngest child, Kecalf Cunningham, was born in 1970. The child of Franklin and another of her former managers Ken Cunningham, his name is a portmanteau of his father’s first name and his mother’s initials. Kecalf, 51, tried to forge a career for himself as a Christian rapper and appeared on stage with his mother.
After previously stating that TV series centered on his mother’s life Genius was “pushed through without the family’s consent”, he thanked makers of Respect, MGM, “for being extremely professional” in an Instagram post in July.
He wrote: “Jennifer Hudson did a phenomenal job as well as the rest of the cast.
“We truly thank you all for providing your GOD given talents to depict our mother/grandmothers’ life story. Thank you all so much and GOD bless you. Our hope are that everyone will enjoy the film as much as we did!”
