Famous people's places / Detroit – Dexter-Linwood

New Bethel Baptist Church

Rev. C. L. Franklin's church, where Aretha Franklin grew up singing and recorded her first album in 1956; a civil rights landmark.

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New Bethel Baptist Church was founded on March 6, 1932, and first met in a former bowling alley before building its own church on Hastings Street, the main street of Black Bottom and Paradise Valley, in 1951. Its fame came with the Rev. C. L. Franklin, pastor from 1946 to 1979, whose sermons sold on records across the country and who grew the congregation from about 400 to some 4,000 members. His daughter Aretha Franklin sang here as a child, and in 1956, at 14, she recorded her first album live in the church. When the Chrysler Freeway erased Hastings Street, the church moved, and in 1963 it settled into the remodeled Oriole Theater on Linwood Street. In the 1960s it was a hub of the civil rights movement, hosting Martin Luther King Jr. and raising money for the cause. On February 27, 1976, it overflowed for the funeral of Florence Ballard of the Supremes, and on August 30, 2018, Aretha came home one last time for a viewing before her funeral. The street outside was renamed C. L. Franklin Boulevard in 2016, and the church joined the National Register in 2021.

Founded on March 6, 1932; C. L. Franklin was pastor from 1946 to 1979
Aretha Franklin recorded her first album here in 1956, at 14
In a remodeled former movie theater since 1963
Florence Ballard's funeral was held here on February 27, 1976
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021

Famous Detroiters

Famous people tied to this place 11

Lexicon entries for the people who lived, worked, performed or liked to spend time here.

Aretha Franklin 1942–2018 · singer, songwriter, pianist
Performed here
Her father's church, where she sang gospel as a child and recorded her first album in 1956; she also lay in state here in 2018.
Florence Ballard 1943–1976 · singer
Related place
Rev. C. L. Franklin's church, where her funeral on February 27, 1976, drew an overflow crowd and fellow Motown stars.
David Ruffin 1941–1991 · singer
Related place
The Reverend C. L. Franklin's historic church, where his funeral was held in June 1991.
Erma Franklin 1938–2002 · singer
Performed here
Her father's church, where she sang with her sisters as a girl.
James Cleveland 1931–1991 · gospel singer, composer, arranger, choir director
Worked here
He was organist and later music director at this church; in 1968 he was guest at Mattie Moss Clark's Sing-A-Rama here.
Carolyn Franklin 1944–1988 · singer, songwriter
Performed here
Her father's church, where she began singing.
C. L. Franklin 1915–1984 · Baptist minister, recorded preacher, civil rights leader
Worked here
The church he led for 33 years; its broadcasts and recorded sermons made him nationally famous, and Aretha Franklin recorded her first album here in 1956.
George W. Crockett Jr. 1909–1997 · civil rights lawyer, judge, congressman
Related place
Rev. C. L. Franklin's church, stormed by police on March 29, 1969; Crockett's overnight court ruling on the arrests made him a national figure.
Thomas Whitfield 1954–1992 · gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, choir director
Worked here
Musical director for Aretha Franklin's live album One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, recorded here in 1987.
Mattie Moss Clark 1925–1994 · gospel choir director, composer, arranger
Performed here
She convened a 1,000-voice Sing-A-Rama here in 1968, with James Cleveland as guest.
Joe Von Battle 1915–1973 · record store owner, record producer
Recorded here
Rev. C. L. Franklin's church, whose sermons Battle recorded and released on dozens of records.