Detroit, Michigan, 1952. Blessed with a lovely singing voice and powerful stage presence, child prodigy Aretha Franklin, daughter of the Baptist pastor and renowned minister of national influence C.L. Franklin, begins to understand her god-given gift. As her controlling father takes over her career, seeing her more than a gospel singer, Aretha Franklin moves to New York to sign with Columbia Records, only to realise that having a good voice is not enough to make hits. As a result, while in search of a breakthrough, Aretha must confront her father, her abusive husband Ted White, and summon up the strength to cover and rearrange Otis Redding's hit, Respect, to finally find her signature sound and eventually become the undisputed Queen of Soul.