Erma Vernice Franklin (March 13, 1938 – September 7, 2002) was an American gospel and soul singer. Franklin was the elder sister of American singer/musician Aretha Franklin and daughter of CL Franklin. Franklin's best known recording was the original version of "Piece of My Heart", written and produced by Bert Berns, and recorded in 1967, for which she was nominated for a Grammy Award. A cover version of the same song was recorded the following year by Big Brother and the Holding Company, with the lead vocal by Janis Joplin.
Links to Peel
Erma's Piece Of My Heart track was played quite regularly on Top Gear in 1967, when Peel was co-hosting the show with other DJ's. It seems the song rarely or if ever got played on Peel's own shows.
Shows Played
- 19 November 1967: Piece Of My Heart (7" - Piece Of My Heart / Don't Catch The Dog's Bone) Shout
- 31 December 1967: Piece Of My Heart (7" - Piece Of My Heart / Don't Catch The Dog's Bone) Shout