Aretha Franklin won her first Grammy Award in 1968. She won two awards at the 10th Annual Grammy Awards for her recording of “Respect”: Best Rhythm & Blues Recording and Best Rhythm & Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female.
Franklin released “Respect” in 1967 on her Atlantic Records album I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You. The song was originally written and recorded by Otis Redding, but Franklin transformed it with a faster arrangement, gospel-influenced vocals, the famous “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” refrain, and a new perspective on the lyrics.
The song became Franklin’s first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped establish her as the “Queen of Soul.” A common mix-up is that some summaries describe the award as being for 1967, because that was the year the recording was released and eligible. The Grammy ceremony and award year, however, were 1968.