C. L. Franklin

Reverend Clarence LaVaughn Franklin (C. L. Franklin), January 22, 1915 - July 27, 1984, was a highly influential Black Baptist preacher and civil rights activist. Franklin was born and raised in Sunflower County, Mississippi and at age 16 received a message from God to become a preacher. As a young preacher he initially worked as an itinerant "circuit" preacher, before settling in Memphis, Tennessee and later moving to Buffalo, New York. His final destination was Detroit, Michigan where he became head of the New Bethel Baptist Church. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s his fame as a preacher grew, and he traveled the country preaching while maintaining his pulpit at New Bethel. Known as the man with the "Million Dollar Voice" C. L. was one of the first ministers to place his sermons on records (which continued into the 1970s), and also broadcast sermons via radio on Sundays. He commanded high fees for his public appearances, and among his most famous sermons were "The Eagle Stirreth Her Nest" and "Dry Bones in the Valley".

C. L. Franklin was a friend and ally of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and was also known for his close relationships with Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward (Clara and her singing groups frequently toured with C.L. and he and Clara had a long-term romantic relationship), two of gospel's greatest voices.

C. L. married to Barbara Siggers Franklin on June 3, 1936, and they had four children together, Erma, Cecil, Aretha, and Carolyn. Barbara Siggers had a son, Vaughn, by a previous relationship and C. L. fathered a daughter out of wedlock, by a teenager in his congregation in 1940. In 1948 C. L. and Barbara separated, with Barbara taking Vaughn to Buffalo, New York and leaving C. L. with the couple's four other children. Barbara made trips back to Detroit to visit the family until her death from heart trouble in 1952.

C. L.'s fame continued to spread throughout the 1950s and 1960s as he became involved in the civil rights movement, and particularly in ending discriminatory practices against Black UAW workers in Detroit.

In addition to being a gifted preacher C. L. was known for his fine singing voice. He and friends Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward greatly encouraged his daughter Aretha, and by the late 1950s C. L. took Aretha with him on speaking tours and musical engagements.

Although C. L. was greatly respected as a preacher and leader, his private life gave rise to several scandals. Aside from his reputation as a ladies' man, C. L. faced legal challenges in the form of IRS claims of taxes on unreported income, alleged drug use, and an indictment for drug trafficking.

On June 10, 1979 C. L. was shot during an attempted robbery at his home which left him comatose for five years. He died on July 27, 1984.

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