Erma Franklin

Biography

Erma Vernice Franklin (March 13, 1938 – September 7, 2002) was an American gospel and soul singer. She recorded the original version of "Piece of My Heart×Piece Of My Heart1992 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1(Take a Little) Piece of My Heart2:302Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye2:453Love Is Blind2:53", written and produced by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns in 1967, for which she was nominated for a Grammy Award. A cover version of the same song was recorded the following year by Big Brother and the Holding Company, with lead vocals by Janis Joplin. Franklin was the elder sister of singer Aretha Franklin.

Early life and family

Erma Franklin was born in Shelby, Mississippi, United States, the oldest daughter of Barbara (née Siggers) and the Reverend C. L. Franklin. She was raised in Detroit, Michigan, where her father was pastor of the New Bethel Baptist Church. She was raised by both parents until the age of 10, when her parents separated for the final time. Her mother took her eldest sibling, half-brother Vaughn, with her to Buffalo, New York, in 1948. Barbara Siggers-Franklin died on March 7, 1952, in Buffalo.
Franklin studied Business at Clark Atlanta University (then named "Clark College").

Career

During her childhood, Erma and her sisters Aretha and Carolyn sang at New Bethel Baptist Church. When Aretha became a recording artist, Erma provided backing vocals and toured with her. Erma sang backup for her sister Aretha on Aretha's signature tune "Respect".
In 1967, Erma Franklin sang the original version of "Piece of My Heart×Piece Of My Heart1992 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1(Take a Little) Piece of My Heart2:302Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye2:453Love Is Blind2:53", which was a top 10 soul hit in the U.S. and rose to number 62 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track was co-written and produced by Bert Berns. In the UK, Franklin's version was used in a Levi's jeans commercial ("Cinderella" AKA "Night and Day"), leading to a resurgence of interest in the song. The single was re-released in the UK in 1992 and peaked on the UK Singles Chart at number 9.
Franklin told an interviewer that when she first heard Janis Joplin's version on the radio, she did not recognize it because of the vocal arrangement.
In the mid-1970s, Franklin left the music industry, apart from occasional engagements with her sister. She was one of the special guests on Aretha's 1986 Showtime cable television special — filmed at Detroit's Music Hall — and also performed on June 28, 1990, at Nelson Mandela's rally at Tiger Stadium.

Personal life and death

Franklin married Thomas Garrett and gave birth to their two children: Thomas Jr. and Sabrina. For 25 years, Franklin worked for the Boysville Holy Cross Community Center, a Detroit organization that helps homeless and disadvantaged minority children. Franklin died of cancer in Detroit, on September 7, 2002, aged 64. She is interred at Detroit's historic Woodlawn Cemetery.

Legacy and accolades

In September 2026, it was announced that Franklin would be posthumously inducted into the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame along with her father, Reverend C. L. Franklin and six other Detroit-based legends the following October. Franklin's younger sister Aretha is a two-time inductee.

Singles

"(Take a Little) Piece of My Heart×(Take a Little) Piece of My Heart1992 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1(Take a Little) Piece of My Heart2:382Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye2:483Love Is Blind2:53" did not chart in the UK until 1992, therefore the peak recorded here occurred on 31st October 1992