How did Aretha Franklin start her career in music?

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As a teen Aretha Franklin sang in a junior gospel choir. She released a gospel album, Sounds of Faith, in 1956, at age 14. In 1960 Franklin transitioned from sacred to secular music. She signed with Columbia Records in New York City and released her first single, “Today I Sing the Blues,” in 1960. Her career took off after signing with Atlantic Records in 1966, and by the end of the decade she had earned the title “Queen of Soul.”