Rosalind Mallia Franklin (March 3, 1952 â February 5, 2010) was an American funk singer and songwriter. Known as the "Queen of Funk," she was a vocalist with Parliament-Funkadelic and original member of the P-Funk spin-off group Parlet. She is also credited with helping bring key musicians like Bootsy Collins and Junie Morrison into the P-Funk collective.
Franklin was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Her father encouraged her musical ambitions, originally hoping she would become an opera singer. As a young woman, Franklin became close with George Clinton and other early Parliament musicians. In 1971, she introduced Clinton to Bootsy Collins, who had recently left James BrownâÂÂs band, helping establish one of funkâÂÂs most influential partnerships.
By the mid-1970s, Franklin joined ClintonâÂÂs Parliament-Funkadelic as a background vocalist. She recorded vocals for albums such as Chocolate City (1975) and FunkadelicâÂÂs Uncle Jam Wants You (1979). Her harmonies were part of P-FunkâÂÂs signature multi-layered vocal sound both in studio and on the groupâÂÂs elaborate live tours.
In 1978, George Clinton formed Parlet with Franklin, Debbie Wright and Jeanette Washington. Their debut album, Pleasure Principle, featured FranklinâÂÂs lead and backing vocals on songs like âÂÂPleasure Principleâ and âÂÂMisunderstanding.â She remained with Parlet into the recording of their second album, Invasion of the Booty Snatchers (1979), before departing with bassist Donnie Sterling to form Sterling Silver Starship.
Franklin is also credited with introducing keyboardist Junie Morrison to P-Funk in 1978. She performed and recorded with various P-Funk side projects and appeared on ZappâÂÂs Zapp II album (1982) as a backing vocalist.
She released her solo album, Funken Tersepter, in 1995 through JapanâÂÂs P-Vine Records. The record featured many P-Funk members, including Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Junie Morrison, and Eddie Hazel.
Franklin also co-wrote âÂÂSuited & Bootedâ for Snoop DoggâÂÂs 2002 album Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$.
Franklin suffered a stroke before a performance in Detroit in 2009 and later moved to Los Angeles for treatment. She died on February 5, 2010, at age 57.
Franklin is remembered for her pivotal role in Parliament-Funkadelic and for mentoring and connecting major funk artists. She is often called the âÂÂQueen of Funkâ for her contributions to the genre and her leadership in the P-Funk sister groups. Her son, Seth Neblett, has worked to document her story and the role of other women in P-Funk through the oral history project Mothership Connected: The Women of Parliament-Funkadelic.