Who was the first female performer to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She began her career singing gospel at her church as a child. At the age of 18, she did recordings for Columbia Records but only achieved modest success. Following her signing to Atlantic Records in 1967, Franklin achieved commercial acclaim and success with songs such as "Respect", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and "Think". These hits and more helped her to gain the title "The Queen of Soul" by the end of the decade.

Franklin has won a total of 18 Grammy Awards. She is one of the best-selling artists of all time selling over 75 million records worldwide. In 1987, she became the first female performer to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This was followed by induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. In August 2012, Franklin was inducted into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame.