. >> nbc's mark barger kicks off sour coverage we honor aretha franklin, the undisputed queen of soul. soul. queen of ♪ you make me feel >> reporter: a disc jockey bestowed that nickname on her, aretha franklin, and it stuck through a musical reign that has few rival >> reporter: in a career spanning more than 50 years, franklin recorded 40 albums and put 45 songs on the top 40 charts, more than any other female artist ever. one song became her signature. ♪ r-e-s-p-e-c-t, find out what it means to me ♪ >> reporter: thaas not only franklin's first number one hit but theng recorndustry association of america named it one of the top five songs of the 20thcentury. it's incredible. iea on, mut of music, please, i could have fallen over on the fall. you could have pushed me over with a feather. >> reporter: franklin was born in memphis in 1942 but her musical journey began in detroit singing gospel in her father baptist church. >> i had no real formal maaining. my f training was my ear. ♪ i'm in love >> reporter: franklin roared her first gospel album at the age of 14, but early motherhood

this is a marked barger from the way that any president has talked about you know his own citizens ever in this country and we thought that it bore comment ok and what why does it why why does it rise somewhat why the alarm bells ringing at the boston globe i mean the coaling the press the and the enemy of the people has that crossed a line oh it has absolutely crossed the line absolutely crossed the line and one of the issues here is that you know not every journalist in this country the vast majority of journalists do not enjoy the institutional support of major news organizations like the boston globe or c.n.n. in some of the clips that you play the vast majority of journalism in this country and probably everywhere around the world is done at the very local level cities towns covering school boards covering you know the mare and or the board of selectmen or whatever happens to be those people are not the enemy of the people you know they're not treasonous or disloyal in some way and for the president for my president for their president to call them the enemies of the people is is a

. ♪ darling, you make m feel >> reporter: mark barger, nbc news.e feel like a natural woman ♪ >>> aretha franklinas adored by legions of fans of all ages. news 4's meagan fitzgerald continues our coverage with the singer's ties to d.c., including one man whose father helped her rise toom sta >> reporter: her voice was like nother. ♪ >> reporter: aretha franklin earned her title as the queen of soul, her music transce s race and generation and her songs are timeless. two of her biggest hits "see-saw" and "chain of fools." n, once you hear chain, ch chain. she wanted it right away. >> reporter: were written by tony's father don, an r & b song writer who grew up in d.c. and worked with legendary artists like jimi hendrix, smokey robinson and aretha franklin. >> aretha was looking for songs. eshe was a lit frustrated because she wasn't getting the right materials so my father happened to be walking by and said, hey, i've got a song for you. -e-s-p-e-c-t ♪ >> reporter: it was the color in the voice. it was the way she kne how to improvise with the voice