Did Clara Ward have a relationship with CL Franklin?

As a result, the Ward Singers were ranked among the most successful female gospel groups of the 1950s. As their popularity grew during that decade, they also established a lifelong relationship with the Reverend C.L. Franklin.

Did Clara Ward have any children?

While Ward never remarried nor had children, she was a close friend of Reverend Clarence LaVaughn Franklin, Aretha Franklin’s father, whom the Ward Singers toured with throughout the 1950s.

What gospel singer did CL Franklin date?

singer Clara Ward
In surveying Franklin’s extraordinary odyssey, he touched briefly on the gospel singer Clara Ward, and he noted the influence she had on her protégé as well as Ward’s “on again, off again,” relationship with the Rev. C.L. Franklin, Aretha’s charismatic father.

Is Clara Ward still living?

January 16, 1973Clara Ward / Date of death

Who preached CL Franklin funeral?

Rev. Jasper Williams Jr.
at Aretha Franklin’s funeral. The Rev. Jasper Williams Jr., senior pastor of Salem Baptist Church, delivered Franklin’s eulogy at her funeral at Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple on Friday.

How old was the gospel singer Clara Ward when she died?

48 years old
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 16 (AP) —Clara Ward, the gospel singer, who performed her first solo at the age of 5 and grew up singing in churches with her mother and sister, died today. She was 48 years old. Miss Ward, leader of the Clara Ward Singers, had been in a coma at U.C.L.A.

What inspired Aretha Franklin?

Her central influence, Clara Ward of the renowned Ward Singers, was a family friend. Other gospel greats of the day—Albertina Walker and Jackie Verdell—helped shape young Franklin’s style. Her album The Gospel Sound of Aretha Franklin (1956) captures the electricity of her performances as a 14-year-old.

Did CL Franklin father a child with a 12-year-old?

As noted by his biographer, Nick Salvatore, Franklin fathered a daughter, Carol Ellan Kelley (née Jennings) (1940–2019), by Mildred Jennings, a 12-year-old member of his congregation.

Who is Edward Jordan Sr?

Edward Jordan is the father of two of Franklin’s sons. At age 12, the music legend gave birth to her first child, Clarence, in 1955. She originally claimed the father was a schoolmate, yet in the wills she reportedly had handwritten, she refers to Edward Sr.

How old was Clara Ward when she passed away?

48 years (1924–1973)Clara Ward / Age at death

Where is Clara Ward buried?

Forest Lawn, CAClara Ward / Place of burial