Erma Franklin

Erma Franklin
Franklin in 1967
Background information
Birth nameErma Vernice Franklin
Born(1938-03-13)March 13, 1938
Shelby, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedSeptember 7, 2002(2002-09-07) (aged 64)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres
OccupationSinger
Years active1955–2002
Labels
Websiteermafranklin.com

Erma Vernice Franklin (March 13, 1938 – September 7, 2002) was an American gospel and soul singer. She recorded the original version of "Piece of My Heart", written and produced by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns in 1967, for which she was nominated for a Grammy Award. A cover version of the same song was recorded the following year by Big Brother and the Holding Company, with lead vocals by Janis Joplin. Franklin was the elder sister of singer Aretha Franklin.