Erma Vernice Franklin (March 13, 1938 – September 7, 2002) was an American gospel and R&B singer. She was the elder sister of Aretha 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. The better-known 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.