Genius: Aretha will star Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, The Outsider) as Aretha Franklin, Courtney B. Vance (American Crime Story) as C.L. Franklin, David Cross (Arrested Development) as Jerry Wexler, Malcolm Barett (Timeless) as Ted White, Patrice Convington as Erma Franklin, Kimberly Hebert Gregory (Vice Principals) as Ruth Bowen and Rebecca Naomi Jones (Someone Great) as Carolyn Franklin.
Suzan-Lori Parks, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Topdog/Underdog, will be executive producer and showrunner for Genius: Aretha Franklin.
Fears will play Clara Ward, lead performer of the prominent Gospel group the Clara Ward Singers and tours the revival circuit with C.L. Franklin.
Cunningham would eventually become her road manager for a while and her lover, to which she gave birth to her youngest son Kecalf in 1970.