Respect, still

 

This blog discusses music in general, of all ages and genres. It stands to reason that we would spend a lot of time writing about bona fide musical icons, such as Dolly Parton, Chuck Berry or the Ronettes’ Ronnie Spector, to name but a few recent examples. That being said, some of those icons still manage to stand out from the others. While you could claim that Berry, in that aforementioned list, is a key figure no matter what, so is Aretha Franklin, who would be turning 80 today. Below are a few reasons why:

• Like many soul singers, Franklin’s musical identity was borne out of gospel. However, her connection with the church was deeper than most: her father (and first manager) C.L. Franklin was a leading Baptist minister for decades, whose reputation as the “million-dollar voice” made him one of the most in-demand preachers in the country, leading him to tour a lot. A young Aretha soon joined in…
• Beyond religion, C.L. Franklin was also heavily involved in the politics of his time, his church becoming a well known hub for the Civil Rights movement in Detroit. As such, he knew and was friends with Martin Luther King, whom Aretha met from a very young age. She eventually sang at his funeral, making that circle — sadly — complete…
• Aretha had two children while still a teenager, her first pregnancy starting when she was a mere 12 years old. The fact that her mother had passed away and that she was living a rather hectic life given her father’s occupation probably had to do with that. She eventually married her first husband at age 18, with whom she had the third of her four children…
• While Dinah Washington reportedly told a young Quincy Jones that Aretha would be the next big thing in music, she in turn was instrumental in fostering many younger artists, starting with Whitney Houston, who she was made an “honorary aunt” to. Houston’s mother Cissy happened to be part of the Sweet Inspirations, who often sang with Aretha. Again, such a tiny world…
• Aretha found success pretty quickly, starting with her early 1960’s recordings with Columbia, which actually saw her move in and out of soul music. However, it wasn’t until she switched to Atlantic and started working with producer extraordinaire Jerry Wexler that she produced work that stands the test of time to this day. Wexler’s overall idea of going back to Aretha’s soul roots sparked classics like “Think”, “Respect” (an Otis Redding hit first), “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”, “Chain of Fools”, “I Say A Little Prayer” (first sung by Whitney Houston cousin Dionne Warwick)… The (storied) list is long.
• The Queen of Soul knew how to make a comeback. In 1980, she starred in The Blues Brothers, making herself known to a whole new generation of listeners. In 1985, she released the (now) pop classic “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves” with Eurythmics, a somewhat unlikely pairing that did wonders. In 1998, she had another hit with “A Rose Is Still a Rose”, produced by Lauryn Hill…

Now, pick your reason to praise the Queen…