Genius: Aretha is the third season of National Geographic's Genius. It aired between March 21, and March 24, 2021.
Plot[]
The third season of GENIUS explores Aretha Franklin’s musical genius and incomparable career, as well as the immeasurable impact and lasting influence she has had on music and culture around the world.
Cast and Characters[]
Main[]
- Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin
- Shaian Jordan as Little Re (young Aretha)
- Malcolm Barrett as Ted White
- Patrice Covington as Erma Franklin
- Aubriana Davis as Young Erma
- Rebecca Naomi Jones as Carolyn Franklin
- Sydney Hunter as Young Carolyn
- David Cross as Jerry Wexler
- Kimberly Hébert Gregory as Ruth Bowen
- Courtney B. Vance as C. L. Franklin
- Edwin Hodge as Young C.L.
Recurring[]
- Pauletta Washington as Rachel Franklin
- Steven G. Norfleet as Cecil Franklin
- Drake Strickland as Young Cecil
- Tina Fears as Clara Ward
- Antonique Smith as Barbara Franklin
- Marque Richardson as King Curtis
- Braelyn Edwards as Clarence Franklin
- Tyler Richardson as Edward Franklin
- Omar J. Dorsey as James Cleveland
- T.I. as Ken Cunningham
- Jerren Jackson as Teddy White Jr.
- Willie Repoley as Tom Dowd
- Luke James as Glynn Turman
- Christopher Redman as Clive Davis
- Major Finley as Curtis Mayfield
Episodes[]
| Title | Director | Writer | Air Date | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aretha: Respect | Anthony Hemingway | Suzan-Lori Parks | March 21, 2021 | 3x01 |
| Aretha travels to Muscle Shoals in 1967 to record her first album with Atlantic Records; after losing her surrogate mother, Little Re braves her first solo in 1953 in her father's church. | ||||
| Aretha: Until The Real Thing Comes Along | Neema Barnette | Suzan-Lori Parks & Diana Son | March 21, 2021 | 3x02 |
| Aretha catches the attention of Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records in 1966; Little Re has her first touring experience on the Gospel Circuit in 1954 with C.L. Franklin and meets her idol, Clara Ward. | ||||
| Aretha: Do Right Woman | Neema Barnette | Nathan Louis Jackson, Suzan-Lori Parks, & Diana Son | March 22, 2021 | 3x03 |
| Aretha juggles her music career and her commitment to the civil rights movement; Little Re leaves behind her newborn child to return to the Gospel Circuit in 1955, meeting with music legends James Cleveland and Little Sammie Bryant. | ||||
| Aretha: Unforgettable | Bille Woodruff | Suzan-Lori Parks & Gwendolyn M. Parker | March 22, 2021 | 3x04 |
| Aretha is featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1968, but she's devastated when the article focuses on the scandalous details of her personal life; Barbara Franklin and Young C.L. Franklin struggle to establish themselves in Memphis. | ||||
| Aretha: Young, Gifted and Black | Anthony Hemingway | Suzan-Lori Parks | March 23, 2021 | 3x05 |
| Aretha records her protest album, "Young, Gifted and Black," in 1970; despite Jerry Wexler's uncertainty, the album is a success; Barbara Franklin makes a decision that has a devastating effect on Little Re. | ||||
| Aretha: Amazing Grace | Anthony Hemingway | Becky Mode | March 23, 2021 | 3x06 |
| Aretha records her bestselling live gospel album "Amazing Grace" in 1972 at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church; Little Re discovers that she's pregnant with her second child, forcing her to leave school. | ||||
| Aretha: Chain of Fools | Anthony Hemingway | Suzan-Lori Parks | March 24, 2021 | 3x07 |
| Aretha steals an opportunity from her sister Carolyn; she receives a Grammy nomination but is ultimately snubbed from winning the award; she meets with Arista founder Clive Davis; Jerry Wexler leaves Atlantic Records, and he and Aretha part ways. | ||||
| Aretha: No One Sleeps | Anthony Hemingway | Suzn-Lori Parks | March 24, 2021 | 3x08 |
| Despite significant emotional losses, Aretha pushes herself artistically and triumphs; she begins a career at Arista with the help of Clive Davis, and in a Grammy performance in 1998, she solidifies her eternal reign as the Queen of Soul. | ||||