The eldest son of Aretha Franklin, Clarence Franklin was embroiled in several controversies including his parentage and the wills of his mother. He, along with his other brothers, has been in the spotlight on several occasions.
Learn more about Aretha Franklin’s eldest son with this Clarence Franklin Wiki.
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Clarence Franklin Age
According to Heavy.com, Edward Franklin was born on 28 March 1956. He turned 65 years old in 2021.
Clarence Franklin Dad
Clarence Franklin was born to his dad Edward Franklin Sr. and his mom Aretha Franklin as one of the first two children in Detroit, Michigan, United States. He was named after his grandfather Clarence LaVaughn Franklin. His mother was 12 when she became pregnant with him. His father was believed to be Donald Burk, a boy his mother knew from school.
Clarence’s family from his mother’s side were supportive, so they had her back even after the non-eventful birth of Clarence.
However, Aretha had Edward mentioned her Will as the dad of her two eldest sons. He and his brother Edward Jr. were raised by their grandmother Rachel aka “Big Mama” and aunt Erma when their mother’s career as a singer thrived.
In David Ritz’s 2014 biography, Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin, Edward Jordan Sr. was described as a “player.”
Almost no information surfaced regarding his dad. However, Aretha Franklin’s handwritten Will contained that Edward’s dad should never receive or handle any money property belonging to Clarence or that Clarence receives as he has never made any contribution to his welfare, future or past, monetarily, material, spiritual, etc, except $5 or $10 when he was a child.
How Many Siblings Does He Have?
Clarence Franklin had four siblings growing up. He had a younger brother Edward Jr. who was a year younger than him. Then, his mother married her first husband Theodore ‘Ted’ White in 1961, when she was 19. Later, born was his half-brother Ted ‘Teddy’ White Jr. His youngest half-brother Kecalf Cunningham was born in 1970 after his mother’s relationship with manager Ken Cunningham.
Aretha Franklin and Ken Cunningham were reportedly married in the 1960s.
Both Clarence and his younger brother Edward, along with Kecalf were raised in Detroit. For several years, they formed a tight-knit unit, according to Rev. James Holley, a confidante of Ms. Franklin’s who spoke at her funeral.
The bond between the four brothers fell apart, after the eldest son of Aretha was diagnosed with mental illness.
Whereas, Ted White Jr. grew up largely with the family of his father’s side.
All four brothers pursued a career as a musician. Kecalf performed as a Christian rapper under the name Kecalf Cunningham. Ted White Jr. played guitar for his mother for over 20 years. Clarence wrote several songs for his mother.
Since the health of Clarence degraded while Aretha was alive, she instructed on the last draft of her Will that the other three brothers should check on Clarence’s welfare weekly.
His Height
Clarence Franklin stands tall at the height of nearly 6 feet (1.82 meters).
His Instagram, Facebook
Like his brother younger brother Edward, Clarence Franklin is also unavailable on social media platforms. This included Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
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Clarence Franklin Job
Clarence Franklin, similar to his other brothers, also pursued a career in music. Aretha always inspired him and his brother to pursue a career as a musician. She also shared about their possibility of being on the show.
Clarence also wrote songs for his mother. But The Sun reported, among the four Franklin boys, he was the least interested in the music business.
But his brother Teddy Richards became a successful singer and performer. He worked on solo projects as well as with his mother.
Much of his life was spent away from public attention since Clarence was as secretive about his life as his mother. The other jobs which he kept to support himself are shrouded in mystery. His life once again gained public attention from the fans of his mother after he was diagnosed with mental illness. That’s when the close-knit relationship of the four brothers shattered into smithereens.
Clarence moved into a series of assisted living facilities. As reported by New York Times, he resides in a group home outside Detroit. He was last pictured at his mother’s funeral in 2018.
Clarence Franklin Net Worth
As the case of division of Aretha’s property deepened, several issues surfaced regarding the 2014 will which was discovered on a couch. The four extremely close brothers, divided when the matter of division of Aretha’s estate came to the light.
Based on the 2014 Will, Clarence, the eldest son wasn’t even listed as a beneficiary. The authenticity of the hand-scribbled will was questioned by Clarence’s representative. If the Will doesn’t have validity based on its authenticity, he would rightfully receive one-fourth of his share.
However, his two brothers Kecalf and Edward favored 2014 Will and were aggressive on the court. Edward Franklin largely sides with Kecalf about the wills. They attended several hearings but never spoke to each other at the court.
Clarence Franklin Wife
Similar to his brother Edward, Clarence Franklin’s married life is also yet to be discovered. There are no marital records of him and ever having any kids.
Before You Go: Edward Franklin Wiki: Aretha Franklin Son, Dad, Age
Last modified: September 27, 2021
[…] Interesting Article: Clarence Franklin Wiki: Son Of Aretha, Dad, Age, Wife […]
[…] had four sons, all from different fathers. And Kecalf was raised together with his half-brothers, Clarence Franklin, Edward Franklin, and Ted White Jr. Kecalf also sometimes went with Kecalf Franklin’s […]