Per her wishes, the Queen of Soul wanted several different outfit changes for her three public viewings. And in 2007 she told The New York Times, "I have been trying to get over to Juilliard for the last four years.". National Geographic's new anthology series, Genius: Aretha, tells the story of legendary singer Aretha Franklin, who was only twelve years old when she began singing in church, andafter decades of number one hits and breaking barrierswas crowned the Queen of Soul in the early '60s. While other public figures have garnered sympathy from fans by acknowledging their personal obstacles, that was not Arethas style. She's a Grammy-nominated and Emmy-winning performer who starred in John Doyle 's Emmy-winning revival of The Color Purple on Broadway as "Squeak" alongside her Genius: Aretha costar . "When I went home, I didn't think I was supposed to do housework anymore," she told Canadian TV in 1998. Franklin's albums and songs were middling chart hits, and though she was making good money touring, she wasn't a top act. (Richard DuCree/National Geographic) Advertisement Erivo is hoping viewers feel the. Tuesday is the first of three. Yet instead of turning to a Detroit artist perhaps Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder or Gladys Knight for its halftime show, the NFL instead selected the Rolling Stones. "We had written 'Think' into the script, with the dialogue leading into the song and the song actually furthering the plot of the film, so we didn't want to change it," Landis told The Hollywood Reporter. The recording artist, who turned 75 on March 26, emerged as part of The Supremes in the 1960s before going solo with a series of hits like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "I'm Coming Out.". Franklin belted out "America (My Country 'Tis Of Thee)" at the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama. Soul Queen. Aretha Franklin lost her two-year battle with pancreatic cancer two weeks ago. In a later scene, the adult Aretha has two sons. Respect, starring Academy Award-winning actor Jennifer Hudson, follows the successes and struggles of music legend Aretha Franklin.Directed by Liesl Tommy, it boasts star power, including Hudson, handpicked by Franklin herself to portray her onscreen (the diva originally wanted . Aretha Franklin, played by Cynthia Erivo, at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in "Genius: Aretha". Others, like her booking agent Ruth Bowen, offered more insight to Ritz. Or as Ritz put it in his 2014 biography, The most traumatic parts of Arethas life would produce her most moving music.. "If women are going to do the same job, why not give equal pay? Besides the "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" refrain, the repeated lyric "sock it to me" is the most famous line of the song. Iconic singer Aretha Franklin will forever be remembered for hit songs such as "Respect," "Think" and " (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," as well as her activism and role in the civil. In "Respect," Aretha is seen as a 10-year-old in her Detroit bedroom when an older, unnamed male house guest wanders in, offering to be her "boyfriend.". Prior to rehearsals at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, she laid down one simple edict to the show's producer: "I'll come to The Beacon, I'll do it. And despite no longer being with us, the music legend lives on in the hearts of fans, old and new. The albums production is very of its era: the 60s Motown pastiche Freeway of Love was remixed to appeal to rock ie white audiences. Picture: Teddy Richards. He had a voice, and he didn't have to do anything but stand in one place and wipe you out.". I'm going to see her free if there is any justice in our courts, not because I believe in communism, but because she's a black woman and she wants freedom for black people. It surprised her agent Ruth Bowen, who told Ritz: She had a habit of getting loaded before a performance. Aretha's father often has her sing for parties at their home, while her mother Barbara, separated from C.L., encourages her independence. Especially if it's physically taxing, we should get a little more money, if you have enough heart to take it on. If the new take isnt as great as the rough demo, her vocal is still wonderful, the track itself a powerful link to her roots in the teeth of her 80s pop phase. The Queen of Soul, who passed away on Aug. 16 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, had a grand public viewing today at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. What You See Is What You Sweat is the thirty-third studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on June 25, 1991, by Arista Records. The Curtis Mayfield-helmed soundtrack to the film Sparkle is an overlooked gem in Franklins catalogue, his songs great, the lush proto-disco sound a delight. Photograph: NBC/Getty Images The queen of soul's imperious late-60s, early-70s output was unsurpassed, but through the eras of. This was Franklin's first new release in the Nielsen SoundScan era. Her favorite film when she was a child was The Private Lives of . When the singer-songwriter commissioned a memoir, 1999s From These Roots, it largely glossed over traumatic milestones in the performers life, including the death of Arethas mother, when the singer was only 10; Arethas pregnancy at 12 years old; her first marriage; and her alleged battles with alcohol. But Davis, who went on to be acquitted of the charges she faced, remembered Franklin's intentions. "I was in the control booth and there was near-hysteria. Happy birthday! 'A legend in her own right': Carolyn Franklin, Aretha's forgotten sister She was a genius songwriter and singer but could never escape her sibling's shadow - and died at just 43. Listen. As a teen, Franklin toured on the gospel circuit, and by 1960 she had a record deal with Columbia. From now on, it belongs to her., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Aretha in 1969. I'm not supposed to do that. Aretha Franklin never named one song that was her true favorite. The Queen of. "And I didn't want to have that problem that evening. Aretha Franklin lies in her casket at Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.. The death of Aretha Franklin left a hole in the world of pop culture that will never be filled. I'm not supposed to do that. All Rights Reserved.FN and Footwear News are registered trademarks of Fairchild Publishing, LLC. Clive Davis (exec.) And it was my feeling: 'How dare you come to Detroit, a city of legends musical legends plural and not ask one or two of them to participate. Famous person you'd like to have dinner with: Aretha Franklin. Audra McDonald, Forrest Whitaker, and Mary J. Blige pop up in the starry trailer for the film about the life and times of the Queen of Soul. Her casket was made in Batesville, Indiana by the Batesville Casket Company. Franklin had other ideas for her song number, thoughshe wanted to sing her biggest hit, "Respect," instead of "Think," a song she'd co-written and that had become her seventh Top 10 hit back in 1968. Aretha Franklin will be remembered in fabulous fashion the acclaimed singer would not have it any other way. Tommy and Wilson told Vanity Fair that they were following Arethas lead in terms of the vagueness around the paternity of her first son. Aretha Franklin was born on: March 25,1942. No one knew if she would show up for the concert. She loved the color because it was the color of nature and it made her feel at peace. From her first number-one single in 1967 up until her later appearances in 2017, her wardrobe was admirably over-the-top and commanded respect. 10 on the R&B chart, but generally, Columbia didn't know how to market her. Its one thing to have your mama move out of the house for reasons you dont understand. It was nonsexual, just a clich line." "I was sitting there waiting for the program to start after church, and I just happened to look back over my shoulder and I saw this group of people coming down the aisle," she told NPR in 1999. ", .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Rihanna and 10 Other Great Pregnant Performances, Burt Bacharachs Legacy: 5 Notable Collaborations, 2023 Grammy Awards: Six Winners Who Made History. In 2014, Rolling. "Her piano playing actually made a difference. In her memoir, Aretha said her preacher father was fine with this pregnancy tooa point that Arethas brother Cecil refuted to Ritz. ", In 1998, Franklin agreed to be part of a group concert for VH1 known as Divas Live. Rice related that while she was with Franklin at a White House event, "We were just talking and chatting and she said, 'You play, don't you?' All rights reserved. The Respect star - who passed away in 2018 aged 76 - had a troubled personal life that included a pregnancy at the tender age of 12 and four children by four fathers. (Photo by Sahm Doherty/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images), Los Angeles, CA - January 1983: Aretha Franklin at the 1983 American Music Awards, January 17, 1983. Recorded a week after Franklin sang at Martin Luther Kings funeral, the repeated cry of Freedom! and the demand for listeners to let yourself be free clearly had other resonances, giving the song a fraught power and impact. Even drunk, she could sing better than ninety-nine out of a hundred singers. She will be known as one of the most influential singers of all time, and as an activist who spoke of the world through her music, and used music as a tool for truth, justice, and soul. Listen here: https://Aretha.lnk.to/YGAB Tracklist: 00:00 Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby) 03:40 Day Dreaming 07:41 Rock Steady 11:00 Young, Gifted and Black 14:34 All the King's Horses 18:29. The two backup singers who sang that refrain were Aretha's sisters, Erma and Carolyn. In 1985, the Department of Natural Resources of the state of Michigan officially declared Franklin's voice a "natural resource of the state. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories. Happy birthday! The Aretha Franklin Fund for Neuroendocrine Cancer Research has been launched by the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NETRF) in Boston, the Detroit Free Press reported. She later said of the singer's gesture, "I thanked her publicly for it many times, but can't remember if we actually spoke to each other.". She didnt like the image of her being a beaten woman. During her performance, she wore a gray felt cloche hat that was topped with an impressive bow bedazzled with Swarovski crystals. I've been locked up [for disturbing the peace in Detroit] and I know you got to disturb the peace when you can't get no peace. Aretha never publicly shared the identity of Clarences father, but Arethas brother and manager Cecil told Ritz that the father was just a guy [Aretha] knew from schoolshe wasnt all that interested in him and I dont think he had any deep interest in her. Aretha said in From These Roots that the pregnancy was uneventfuland Cecil said Arethas father wasnt particularly furious. Heres the Story Behind Aretha Franklin Holding Her Heels Onstage at the 1983 AMAs, Aretha Franklin Passes Away at 76: A Look Back at Her Love of Sparkly Shoes and Pearls, Footwear News is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Walk of Fame. You make them your own. Some of her cues were a little mistimed during the show, but the concert was a hit. 1 hit, and it quickly became her signature song. His father later had four more sons Geoff, Stan, Simon and Robert and his mother had another son named Frederick Farebrother. Ivanka Trump: Hell Yeah I Knew My Fathers Stolen Election Claims Were Bullshit. And some of the girls were saying that to the fellows, like, 'Sock it to me in this way' or 'sock it to me in that way.' As she described it in 2007, "That plane was dipsy-doodling all over the place." The late 90s attempt to give Franklin a hip-hop/neo soul-influenced makeover didnt really work, except on the albums Lauryn Hill-penned title track. In 1952, 10-year-old Aretha Franklin lives with her father C.L., pastor of Detroit 's largest Baptist church, and her siblings Cecil, Erma, and Carolyn. Aretha Franklin lies in her casket at Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. Because that job is harder for a woman than a man sometimes," she said. In 1999, Franklin told NPR that she and her younger sister decided to include the line while playing around on the piano one day. Aside from the Amsterdam gown, one of Ramos's favorite looks is from one of Franklin's most desperate moments in the film, when she seeks help in the midst of an alcohol addiction. He said, 'Well, listen, star, you better get in the kitchen and introduce yourself to all those dirty dishes.' In a 2016 profile in The New Yorker, editor David Remnick wrote that Franklin made it a point early in her career to be paid upfrontin cash, sometimes of amounts up to $25,000before performances, so keeping her handbag on her or within eyeshot was a security measure. Rosalind Franklin's favorite color is a deep pink, almost a light maroon. She wasn't sure at first what color the dress was, but with help from Genius: Aretha director Anthony Hemingway, she made an executive decision. READ MORE: The Powerful Meaning Behind Aretha Franklin's Equality Anthem "Respect". Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 2. "Sam was what you call a singer's singer He didn't do a lot of running around on the stage, and because he knew he didnt have to. In From These Roots, Aretha reflected, I cannot describe the pain, nor will I try. The Queen of Soul added that she remembered how she sat in tearsfor a long time after returning from her mothers burial. Initially at least, Franklin seemed imperiously capable of assimilating any new musical trend into her sound, as demonstrated by the self-penned Rock Steady, her killer response to funk. From that point onward, Franklin traveled by bus, not by plane, to get to concerts and other events. Franklin being added to the lineup marked the first time she performed at any Super Bowl. In 1948, when Aretha was six, Barbara movedtaking Vaughn with her to Buffalo, New York, but leaving C.L. Franklin was a self-taught musician who learned to play the piano by ear and couldn't read music. The Queen of Soul sang songs that continue to transcend generations, from "Respect" and "Chain of Fools" to "I Say A Little Prayer" and "Think". In 2012, swollen feet left Franklin unable to attend Whitney Houston's funeral. But then she kept talking. Aretha Franklin, revered for her powerful . The queen of souls imperious late-60s, early-70s output was unsurpassed, but through the eras of disco, hip-hop and house, she always offered something special. ", During her 2015 Kennedy Center Honors performance, Franklin famously wore a mink coat but dropped it mid-performance. She loved the blues but she didnt want to be seen as a tragic blues figure.. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images), UNITED STATES - NOVEMBER 18: DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW - "Episode 709A" - The "Queen of Soul" and one of the most honored female singers in Grammy Award history, legend Aretha Franklin took the "Dancing with the Stars" stage by storm, on "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show," TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network. 1988. This included Franklin. Footwear News is a part of Penske Media Corporation. "On one occasion, we took an 11-city tour with her as Aretha Franklin and Harry Belafonte and they put gas in the vans. In concert at Madison Square Garden in 1968. Aretha Louise Franklin Profil: American singer, pianist, and songwriter. And early on in her career she was hit by the tabloidsthere were stories of her being a victim of domestic violence and she didnt like that. A month before the concert, Franklin said, "Ms. Rice is a consummate classical pianist and since I sing the arias, I thought we could do something a bipartisan effort for our favorite charities. The silhouettes evolved over the years, from formfitting dresses in the sixties to eccentric caftans in the nineties, but her joyful, luxurious approach to dressing remained, emphasizing Franklin's star power. Laden with guest appearances, home to Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves, 1985s Whos Zoomin Who restored Franklin to the charts. I wish I could be there to celebrate with you in person. Aretha Franklin used her money to fund social and civil rights activism. (Photo by Kelsey McNeal/ABC via Getty Images), NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 07: Aretha Franklin performs on stage at the Elton John AIDS Foundation Commemorates Its 25th Year And Honors Founder Sir Elton John During New York Fall Gala - Show at Cathedral of St. John the Divine on November 7, 2017 in New York City. When her contract expired in late 1966, she chose to move to Atlantic Records. Queen of Soul: Life and Times of Aretha Franklin. WordPress.com VIP. The Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin was a complex figure, a titan of American music whose voice could wring emotion from even the coldest hearts, whose body of work exemplified and entangled many. And you could sort of tell during the program. March 19, 2021 3:53 PM EDT. Dakota Johnson on Family, Sexual AgencyAnd the Psychotic Making of, Gabby Petitos Life WithAnd Death ByBrian Laundrie. Grace Franklin and Aretha Franklin ABC; AP. Franklins early-80s albums dont get a lot of love. The floral arrangements also had a hue significant to the singer pink, her favorite color. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images), Unspecified - 1975: Aretha Franklin performing live. Recorded as a contractual obligation, this duet with John Legend unexpectedly turned out triumphant: upfront, wildly funky, the best thing she had done in 20 years. One of my favorite moments in all of music is from the album "Songs of Faith," which Aretha Franklin recorded live, in 1956, at the New Bethel Baptist Church, in Detroit . "My sister and I, we just liked that record [Respect]," Franklin told Vogue in 2016. (Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images), Singer Aretha Franklin, clad in politically incorrect Russian sable fur coat, singing outside Lincoln Memorial during Clinton inauguration wk. "Jail is hell to be in. Before she was a global sensation, Aretha Louise Franklin was a young girl with a big voice. Sabrina Owens, her niece, shared in an interview with Inside Edition that the red colors symbolize her membership in the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, adding that the outfit looked like something she would have selected for herself. The floral arrangements also had a hue significant to the singer pink, her favorite color. Her talent protected her. Born: 25 March 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Aretha Franklin passed away on Thursday, leaving behind a legacy that includes 18 Grammy Awards, 17 top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and six decades' worth of music. Aretha Franklin's 30 greatest songs - ranked! From the Luther Vandross-produced LP Get It Right, Every Girl (Wants My Guy) is a fabulously sassy slice of post-disco boogie. The anthem was Franklin's first No. I'm guessing some house guy at the Beacon Theater whose job it was to turn on and off the air conditioning messed up. She began her career in her teens singing gospel music at church, catapulting to fame with her hit Respect topping the charts in 1967. I'm feeling it. But perhaps the honor that best encapsulates her otherworldly talent came in 2014, when NASA named an asteroid after her. Aretha! I felt like Aretha was singing Respect to Ted, but it hardly made any difference. If it had all been as a great as Angel, it would have been a different story. When Frankins star finally rose, it did so at a startling speed. 5. ", "She's got her money, she's ready to move, to go wherever she needs to be," Rickey Minor, who was the musical director of the Kennedy Center Honors, told The New York Times. Redding didn't write that part, thoughFranklin did. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . (Photo by Waring Abbott/Getty Images), UNITED STATES - JULY 06: RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL Photo of Aretha FRANKLIN, performing live onstage (Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns), NEW YORK - March 3 1990: Aretha Franklin appears in concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on March 3, 1990 In New York City. Even by Franklins standards, the vocal on Drown in My Own Tears is exceptional, a summoning of pain and inconsolable misery that gradually gains momentum until it reaches a startling peak of desperation three minutes in as she repeatedly wails the word drown in a manner that is genuinely chilling. ", Another family friend, the Reverend Jim Holley, echoed Jackson. Franklin died on . A frantic take on Dinah Washingtons 1963 hit, this is more edgy and exciting than the MOR and jazz-pop the label usually lumbered her with. Jan. 4, 2022 7 AM PT. Its tempting to say you can tell: her performance is calm but firm, precise and commanding. When it comes to soul legacy, Alicia Keys is sort of like the heir to the Aretha throne. Keys has cited Ms. Franklin as one of her greatest influences. He got her famous. Franklin was a fan of making eye-catching fashion statements, often wearing furs, jewels and embellished heels. After the inauguration, Franklin's hat was loaned to the Smithsonian (though it wasn't added to the museum's permanent collection). "Angela Davis must go free," Franklin said in an interview with Jet magazine. Over the course of her career, Franklin appeared alongside many famous people. "How many times do you have to leave your purse in the dressing room and have it go missing before you say, 'I worked hard for this moneyI'm going to put my purse right here where I can see it'? The multiple chart-topper, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and 18-time Grammy Award winner tried her best to keep her turbulent private life out of the public gaze right up until her death . But her aviophobia persisted, and Franklin never again took to the skies. 2. In addition to being a socially conscious artist in public, Franklin she also worked behind the scenes to support the. Is a Lavish, Lively Showstopper That Hits a Few False Notes. Its standout performances included Franklin joining with her fellow divas to sing the perennially popular "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.". So there was no rehearsal for Aretha. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 1, Paul Newman Says Wife Joanne Woodward Turned Him Into a Sexual Creature in Posthumous Memoir. Ive come within two blocks of the building, and my schedule would not allow for me to enroll at the time." To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories. Aretha Franklin was a 20-time Grammy winner. In addition to featuring Wonder in a pre-game performance, Franklin was invited to join singer Aaron Neville for the national anthem. In 1987, she became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Franklin was committed to the fight for civil rights, but Davis was a divisive figure, referred to as a "dangerous terrorist" by President Richard Nixon. She explained in 2014, "I did take a class, Fearless Flyers, but I missed two weeks of it and my fellow students went on to Indiana and passed, and I didn't, so I need to make those two classes and then hopefully I'll pass and I'll be able to fly again." I've been to New York City.' Everybody kept asking but nobody had an answer. Aretha Franklin (One of the Best-Selling Music Artists in the World & 'Queen of Soul') Aretha Louise Franklin, known as The Queen of Soul, was the first woman ever to be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As Aretha became more miserable in her marriage, she allegedly looked to alcohol to numb her pain. "It's just thatwell, legally I really should just not talk about it, because there are problems. Franklin racked up innumerable accolades throughout her life, including 18 Grammy Awards (out of 44 nominations, and a streak of eight Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance awards from 1968-1975). Crimson What was aretha franklins family? Franklin's mother, Barbara, was a gospel singer and pianist. Aretha Franklins voice may be deeply familiar to millions, but her origin story is lesser knownand that was by the Queen of Souls design. Occasionally, however, her full power was unleashed, as here. She had a tough childhood, Ritz explained to People in 2018, shortly after the icons death. ", Rice played on her own in the first half of the concert. "Whenever there was a tragedy with families, any civil rights family, she was always giving," Holley said. "Groovin'" (Lady Soul, 1968)Franklin gives the Young Rascals' blue-eyed soul smash a loving treatment filled with Muscle Shoals sweetness. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. When she was 5, the family moved to Detroit when her father took over as pastor of the New Bethel Baptist Church, and it later became the center of the Civil Rights Movement in Detroit. She nails the gospel part, but she's not a natural blues woman. May this year be filled with sweet memories. When she walked out on stage, Franklin was wearing a floor-length mink coat and carrying a sparkling clutch, which she laid on top of the piano before sitting down to playa habit she had had for decades. All rights reserved. It reached No. 10.3M monthly listeners. She was born in a religious household in Tennessee to Reverend C.L. In no way did that help her singingAretha was big on denial. Amid Whos Zoomin Whos MTV-friendly sheen lurks a version of a Van McCoy ballad that Franklin had originally recorded in the 60s. Wiki User 2011-10-25 15:15:06 This answer is: Study guides Add your answer: Earn + 20 pts Q: What is Rosalind. But I need that air conditioning off.". The Queen of Soul, who died . Everything about the song is sublime, from the silky arrangement to Franklins emotional shift from vulnerability to resolution. She did 11 concerts for free and hosted us at her home and did a fundraiser for my campaign She has shared her points of view from the stage for challenged people, to register to vote, to stand up for decency. The sessions for Franklins first Atlantic album were stormy; at one point they had to be abandoned after a row involving Ted Wright, leaving Do Right Woman, Do Right Man unfinished. He was the only child his parents Stanley Dwight and Sheila Eileen Harris had together, but Elton does have half-siblings. Favorite color: black. Houston's mother corrected Warwick within days, but that wasn't enough for Franklin. I have the money; I got it from Black people they've made me financially able to have it and I want to use it in ways that will help our people. In 1970, communist activist and academic Angela Davis was arrested for allegedly purchasing guns used in a California courthouse shoot out. An icon of 20th and 21st century music, the voice of the civil rights movement, and the undisputed Queen of Soul there is only one Aretha Franklin. However, Juilliard is still on my mind! They had on beautiful navy blue and brown trench coats. Here, in her own words, are Franklin's favorite songs of all time. In 2003, when asked what her biggest regret was, Franklin confided to Vanity Fair, "Not learning to read music. On July 27, 2010, the two shared a stage in Philadelphia in order to raise money for educational and outreach programs. Fifty years on, over-familiarity hasnt blunted the impact of her performance: the way she shifts from the control of the verses to the euphoria of the chorus still sounds sublime. She'd been invited to sing before, but travel concerns such as her fear of flying had led her to refuse. Languid and sexy, its wistful mood is ramped up by Donny Hathaways otherworldly electric piano, the scattered, abstract bursts of flute and a lengthy, slightly eerie beat-less outro. Those contortions are more elaborate for people of color, practically byzantine for women, and downright murderous for black women. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images), Aretha Franklin performs "Somewhere" during 59th Annual Tony Awards - Show at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, United States. We saw how women in church literally threw themselves at him. They also beat us up.. Aretha in 1969. Warmest wishes for a happy birthday! Meanwhile, Arethas mother, Barbara, became pregnant with another mans son, Arethas half-brother Vaughn. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images), American musician Aretha Franklin performs on stage at the Chicago Theater, Chicago, Illinois, December 15, 1986. However, it should eventually become part of his presidential library, which seems to be the outcome that would have best pleased Franklin. "She saw so many people, like Ray Charles and B. "I give it and I get it," she said of the importance of respect. Genius: Aretha. Aretha Franklin lies in her Promethean casket wearing Christian Louboutin shoes. Customers with a valid cable log-in can stream Genius: Aretha live on . But its another to have your mama die of a heart attack as a young womanAnd it happened just like thatno preparation, no warning. Her sister Erma lauded Franklins ability to transform extreme pain to extreme beauty, which is exactly what happens on this Stevie Wonder co-write.