Which singer became the first female artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Aretha Franklin became the first female artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Known as the Queen of Soul, Franklin began singing gospel as a child at her father’s Detroit church. After early recordings for Columbia Records, she joined Atlantic Records, where producer Jerry Wexler helped shape the gospel-infused soul sound that made her famous.

Her 1967 version of Otis Redding’s “Respect” became a defining anthem, while songs such as “Chain of Fools,” “Think,” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” cemented her influence. She was inducted on January 3, 1987, one year after the Hall’s inaugural class.

A common mix-up is confusing the first female inductee with later landmark inductees such as Janis Joplin, inducted in 1995, or Tina Turner, inducted in 1991. Franklin’s honor came before either of them.