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By India Espy-Jones ·Updated March 24, 2026 < /> Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… There’s no question that Aretha Franklin is our Aries Angel. The Queen of Soul—who performed at the first ESSENCE Festival in 1995—began her career in the church. She later bellowed into the music industry in the late ‘60s with the song “I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You).” Franklin’s legendary vocals continued to take over pop charts, thanks to hits like “Respect” and “I Say A Little Prayer”. As we honor the Queen of Soul’s heavenly birthday, it’s not just her accomplishments, but the trend-setting beauty looks the singer, pianist, and activist that made her an eternal Great.
The ‘60s were all about classic, black-and-white portraiture. Her beauty, for example, was captured in 1962 in a portrait where she donned a wrapped silk press. Then, for the Soul Together show in ‘68, she turned heads with a Supremes-like blow out. Meanwhile, her look at 13th Grammy Awards was also unforgettable. Think: a perfectly-coiffed afro paired with white liner and charcoal eyeshadow. Her backlit red-headed look in the ‘70s (picture her 1973 Duke Ellington tribute) was her intro to more pigmented colors, like green shadows at her 35th birthday. This was all of course before going for pastels and windswept hair in the ‘80s (cue her portrait session with Harry Langdon).
Her bowl cut and Twiggy-like lashes era was one for the books, too. This was also an early predecessor to her powdery, full coverage makeup looks in the ‘90s. At the Night Of 100 Stars, Franklin’s Old Hollywood clumped lashes complemented her faded red lipstick and blush. Then, her sheer metallic lips and dark glittery eyeshadow at the Friars Club Clive Davis tribute sat beneath dark, thin brows. As she entered the early aughts, her makeup became more refined. At a 2005 portrait session, her brows were sharper and blush more sculpted than ever. She paired this with a tousled red hair piece. As for her 70th birthday look? She knew she couldn’t go wrong with pigmented pink lips and purple eyeliner. She took this up a notch for her 74th, which included circular blush with black shadow.
Ahead, see how the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin’s beauty has evolved over the years in honor of her heavenly birthday.
CIRCA 1964:Soul singer Aretha Franklin poses for a portrait in circa 1964. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
267572 09: Singer Aretha Franklin arrives at the Essence Awards April 26, 1996 in New York City. The ceremony honors African-Americans who represent positive role models to the community. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Liaison)
American soul singer Aretha Franklin stands backstage wearing an gold embroidered gown and holding a Grammy Award, circa 1970. (Photo by Tim Boxer/Getty Images)
CIRCA 1967:The “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin poses for a portrait with circa 1967. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
NEW YORK – CIRCA 1965:Soul singer Aretha Franklin poses for a portrait in New York City circa 1965. (Photo by James Kriegsmann/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
CIRCA 1968:Soul singer Aretha Franklin performs onstage in circa 1968. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
CIRCA 1973:Soul singer Aretha Franklin poses for a portrait lying on a couch in circa 1973. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
CIRCA 1974:Soul singer Aretha Franklin raises a glass in toast with several other people at an event in circa 1974.(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
American soul gospel jazz and pop singer, Aretha Franklin, circa 1968. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
CIRCA 1963: Soul singer Aretha Franklin poses for a portrait in circa 1963. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
CIRCA 1966: Soul singer Aretha Franklin poses for a portrait in circa 1966. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
CIRCA 1969: Soul singer Aretha Franklin poses for a portrait with three plaques of records celebrating milestones in sales in circa 1969. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
NEW YORK – CIRCA 1961:Singer Aretha Franklin poses for a portrait circa 1961 in New York City, New York. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
CIRCA 1968: Soul singer Aretha Franklin poses for a portrait in circa 1968. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
CIRCA 1986: R&B singer Aretha Franklin performs onstage in circa 1986. (Photo by Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Aretha Franklin (Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – FEBRUARY 10:Singer Aretha Franklin arrives at the Sony BMG Music 2008 Grammy Awards After Party held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 10, 2008 in Beverly Hills, California.(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
DETROIT – DECEMBER 16:Soul singer Aretha Franklin poses for a portrait Session on December 16, 2005 in Detroit, Michigan.(Photo by Harry Langdon/Getty Images)
DETROIT – DECEMBER 16:Soul singer Aretha Franklin poses for a portrait Session on December 16, 2005 in Detroit, Michigan.(Photo by Harry Langdon/Getty Images)
(MANDATORY CREDIT Ebet Roberts/Getty Images) Aretha Franklin performing at Radio City Music Hall in New York City July 6, 1989 (Photo by Ebet Roberts/Getty Images)
(MANDATORY CREDIT Ebet Roberts/Getty Images) American singer and songwriter Aretha Franklin performing at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on September 13, 1991. (Photo by Ebet Roberts/Getty Images)
Aretha Franklin during VH1 Presents: “Divas Live: The One and Only Aretha Franklin” at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)
Aretha Franklin (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
Aretha Franklin during The Kennedy Center Honors Weekend, 2004 at Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., United States. (Photo by Scott Suchman/WireImage)
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 14:Aretha Franklin attends BET Honors 2012 at the Warner Theatre on January 14, 2012 in Washington, DC.(Photo by Paul Morigi/WireImage)
BOSTON – MAY 18: Aretha Franklin, at the New England Conservatory commencement at Jordan Hall. The Legendary singer was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree. (Photo by Evan Richman/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI – FEBRUARY 05:(EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Aretha Franklin poses during a portrait session for GRAMMY Taping And JET Magazine on February 5, 2011 in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.(Photo by Monica Morgan /WireImage)
Aretha Franklin during BMG Grammy Party in New York, NY, United States. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)
African American singers Lauryn Hill and Aretha Franklin, January 21, 1998. (Photo by Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 06:Singer Aretha Franklin attends the 38th Annual Kennedy Center Honors Gala at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 6, 2015 in Washington, DC.(Photo by Paul Morigi/WireImage)
Aretha Franklin Attending a party at the Hilton Hotel, New York City. (Photo by Walter McBride/Corbis via Getty Images)
Washington, DC.1990 Aretha Franklin portrait Credit: Mark Reinstein (Photo by Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
Aretha Franklin in Fur Coat(Photo by © Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS/VCG via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES – 1980:Singer Aretha Franklin poses for the cover of the album ‘Aretha’ in 1980 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry Langdon/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES – 1982:Singer Aretha Franklin poses for the cover of her album ‘Jump To It’ in 1982 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry Langdon/Getty Images)
Aretha Franklin preforms at the Lincoln Memorial for PresidentWilliam Jefferson Clinton’s inaugural gala Washington, DC. USA, January 17, 1993 (Photo by Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images)”n
Musician Aretha Franklin recording at the piano at Columbia Studios in 1962 in New York. (Photo by Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 12: Aretha Franklin in a recording studio on May 12, 2002 in New York City. (Photo by Bill Tompkins/Getty Images)
American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist Aretha Franklin (1942 – 2018) attends her 35th Birthday Party held at the Crystal Room of the Beverly Hills Hotel, Los Angeles, California, US, March 1977. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Aretha Franklin performs on Soul Train episode 197, aired 11/13/1976. (Photo by Soul Train via Getty Images).
Aretha franklin, 60s. (Photo by: Marka/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Portrait of American singer and musician Aretha Franklin, 1971. (Photo by Anthony Barboza/Getty Images) TOPICS: Aretha Franklin beauty evolution celebrity birthdaysThe post Aretha Franklin’s Most Iconic Beauty Moments appeared first on Essence.