Aretha Franklin's South Memphis Birthplace Falls in Disrepair with Rotting Floors, No Roof & Burnt-Out Back Section

Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin's birthplace in Soulsville Memphis falls in complete disrepair as current owner can't maintain home.

The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin gets a lot of R-E-S-P-E-C-T in show business, but it seems that her birth-home gets none, unlike Elvis Presley's. According to the Commercial Appeal, the home in which Aretha Franklin was born is a rotting eyesore at 406 Lucy Street in the South Memphis neighborhood popularly known as Soulsville. You see, Aretha was from Memphis before she hailed from Detroit. The house is now owned by Vera Lee and is a sad commentary that the birthplace of such an iconic figure in America's history is in a state of disrepair -- back burned out, roof gaping and floor rotted through.

Shouldn't the city of Memphis wrap its arms around Aretha Franklin, who has 18 Grammy Awards to her credit, in much the same way as they embraced Elvis Presley? Shouldn't Aretha's accomplishment as the first woman inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame mean something to the city of Memphis? Some have said the house is in a desolate part of the city, then move it.

On the flip-side, if Aretha Franklin cared about it, then she would have done something about restoring the home. According to the Commercial Appeal, she visited the home in 1995. It would have been a good attraction for Memphis to bring tourists to see her birthplace and would inject new life into a desolate section of the city.

CLICK HERE, to see picture of Aretha Franklin's birthplace.