R&B/Soul Musician. Born Erma Venice Franklin in Shelby, Mississippi, she was the sister of singers Carolyn and Aretha Franklin, and the daughter of Rev. C.L. Franklin. As a child she moved to Memphis, Detroit, and Buffalo, where at 5 she began singing in her father's church choir. Later in high school she began singing with her sisters in the vocal group, 'The Cleo-Patrettes' and began recording on the local Detroit Radio Label JVB, but the group broke up after high school. After high school Erma toured with her father's gospel group for 2 years and then had the chance to record for the Chess Record Label and to join Motown but ended up going to college on the advice of her father. In 1961 she auditioned for the Epic Record Label and moved to New York to record her debut album, "Her Name Is Erma" which came out in 1962 and featured jazz, pop, and R&B tunes. One of her songs on that album, 'Abracadabra' was written by Van McCoy who would later have a success with the hit, 'The Hustle.' She soon became tired of the hassles with Epic and waited out of her contract, and spent 1961 to 1966 touring with Lloyd Price's show. Next she joined the Atlantic Record Label and her career suddenly took off more then it had before, later signing with producer/songwriter Bert Berns of Shout Records in 1967. That same year she recorded the song, 'Piece Of My Hear' written by Bert Berns and Jerry Ragovoy. The song became her first Top Ten R&B Hit and later Janis Joplin's signature song. Berns died that same year unexpectedly at the age of 38, and she began to tour and backing Aretha on several Atlantic Recordings, also touring the United States and Europe. In 1969 she signed with the Brunswick Record Label and scored a minor hit with, 'Gotta Find Me A Lover (24 Hours A Day)," and her LP, "Soul Sister." After a falling out with the label she again waited out her contract again and moved back to Detroit in 1972, where she worked on a PR Farm and at the Boysville Children's Charity. During the 1980s and 1990s she toured with her sisters. In 1984 her father died, and in 1988 her sister, Carolyn. Her other hits are, "Detour Ahead," "Pledging My Love," "Saving My Love For You," "Each Night I Cry," "Never Let Me Go," "It's Over," "Don't Have The Right To Cry," "It's Just Ready For Love," "Open Up Your Soul," "Baby, What You Want Me To Do," "Don't Catch The Dog's Bone," "Big Boss Man," "Can't See My Way," and "You've Been Cancelled."