Episode guide
Genius: Aretha
8 episodes · premiered Mar 21, 2021
The third season explores Aretha Franklin’s musical genius and incomparable career, as well as the immeasurable impact and lasting influence she has had on music and culture around the world. Grammy Award winner Franklin was a gospel prodigy and outspoken civil rights champion; she is widely considered to be the greatest singer of the past 50 years, receiving countless honors throughout her career.
- Episode 1: Respect Mar 21, 2021 · 58m Desperate for a hit, Aretha travels to Muscle Shoals in 1967 to record her first album with Atlantic Records. After suffering the loss of her surrogate mother, Little Re braves her first…
- Episode 2: Until the Real Thing Comes Along Mar 21, 2021 · 48m Struggling to find her sound, Aretha catches the attention of Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records in 1966. Meanwhile, Little Re has her first touring experience on the Gospel Circuit in 1954…
- Episode 3: Do Right Woman Mar 22, 2021 · 51m Aretha juggles her music career and her commitment to the civil rights movement, led by Martin Luther King Jr., in 1967 and 1968. Meanwhile, Little Re leaves behind her newborn child to…
- Episode 4: Unforgettable Mar 22, 2021 · 44m Aretha is featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 1968, but she’s devastated when the article focuses on the scandalous details of her personal life. Barbara Franklin and Young C.L…
- Episode 5: Young, Gifted and Black Mar 23, 2021 · 48m Aretha, inspired by Angela Davis and the Soledad Brothers, records her protest album “Young, Gifted and Black” in 1970. Despite Jerry Wexler’s uncertainty, the album is a success. Barbara…
- Episode 6: Amazing Grace Mar 23, 2021 · 52m Aretha records her best-selling live Gospel album “Amazing Grace” in 1972 at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, ignoring her sibling’s pleas to record instead at New Bethel with their…
- Episode 7: Chain of Fools Mar 24, 2021 · 51m As the Queen of Soul enters the age of disco, Aretha will do anything to remain relevant—including stealing an opportunity from her sister Carolyn. She receives a GRAMMY nomination but is…
- Episode 8: No One Sleeps Mar 24, 2021 · 45m Despite significant emotional losses, including a second divorce and the death of her father in 1984, Aretha pushes herself artistically and triumphs.