‘Aretha’ is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin, released on February 27, 1961. It features the Ray Bryant Combo and showcases an 18-year-old Franklin, covering a range of pop standards. Following in the footsteps of her close friend Sam Cooke, Aretha was “discovered” by famed Columbia Records producer John H. Hammond, who on the liner notes of the 1973 edition of “The Great Aretha Franklin: The First 12 Sides” mentions that she was in fact recommended by the composer Curtis Reginald Lewis. With the support of her father, Reverend C.L. Franklin, Aretha traveled to New York City’s Columbia Record Studios to record her debut album for the label. Hammond paired Aretha Franklin with Ray Bryant and arranger J. Leslie McFarland, while taking charge of the album’s production.