Aretha Franklin on stage, image by Brittanica
Remembering the late great Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, and her impact on music and pop culture. Join us in paying tribute to her iconic career and legacy during Black History Month.
It was a warm summer afternoon, possibly a Sunday or maybe a Saturday. Honestly, I really can’t remember to be exact, because I probably was only 5 years old.
I could always remember those balmy weekends when my mom and her friends would get together, listen to music, and play cards. One of her dearly departed friends originally introduced us to the sounds of Aretha Franklin, and a few others too as well.
Her friend was like the social butterfly who kept up with the latest musical trends. This woman had hundreds of albums and would come over to our house just to play them on my mom’s stereo.
Nonetheless, my memories of this bold sassy voice of the late great Aretha Franklin have echoed in my mind for a very long time. In retrospect, you never could go wrong having the Queen of Soul’s music in your home in the 70’s and 80’s.
I don’t know if I had already watched the film Sparkles or not, but I liked it even more after realizing Aretha’s music was part of the soundtrack. Aretha had a style and impudence of her very own.
Besides being the Queen of Soul, Aretha had some great pop/jazz tunes that I love even right now. ‘Jump to it,’ ‘Who Zooming Who.’ “Day Dreaming.’ “Until You Come Back to Me,’ ‘Wonderful,’ and so many others.
Further, it wasn’t until she died on August 16, 2018, that my interest fondly grew in her remarkable life and career. In conclusion, as I pay tribute to this remarkable woman during Black History Month, I want to leave you with her story, her legacy, and her music. Rest in Peace to the legendary Aretha Franklin.
#ArethaFranklin #QueenOfSoul #Music #Tribute #BlackHistoryMonth
The Legend
Aretha Louise Franklin was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Referred to as the “Queen of Soul”, Rolling Stone twice named her the greatest singer of all time. With global sales of over 75 million records, Franklin is one of the world’s best-selling music artists.
From Wikipedia:
Born March 25, 1942 – Died August 16, 2018
As a child, Franklin was noticed for her gospel singing at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father C. L. Franklin was a minister. At the age of 18, she was signed as a recording artist for Columbia Records. While her career did not immediately flourish, Franklin found acclaim and commercial success once she signed with Atlantic Records in 1966. She recorded acclaimed albums such as I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967), Lady Soul (1968), Spirit in the Dark (1970), Young, Gifted and Black (1972), Amazing Grace (1972), and Sparkle (1976), before experiencing problems with the record company. Franklin left Atlantic in 1979 and signed with Arista Records. Her success continued with the albums Jump to It (1982), Who’s Zoomin’ Who? (1985), Aretha (1986), and A Rose Is Still a Rose (1998).
Franklin recorded 112 singles on the US Billboard charts, including 73 Hot 100 entries, 17 top-ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries, and 20 number-one R&B singles.
Aretha Franklin, 1966, Wikipedia
Moreover, Franklin received numerous honors throughout her career. She won 18 Grammy Awards (out of 44 nominations), including the first eight awards given for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (1968–1975), a Grammy Awards Living Legend honor, and a Lifetime Achievement Award. She was also awarded the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1987, she became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her other inductions include the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012, and posthumously the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2020.[9] In 2019, the Pulitzer Prize jury awarded her a posthumous special citation “for her indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades”.
Aretha Franklin “Jump To It” NJPAC 6/16/16/Andrew M.
#ArethaFranklin #QueenOfSoul #Music #Tribute #BlackHistoryMonth
Senior Editor, Digital Manager, Blogger, has been nominated for awards several times as Publisher and Author over the years. Has been with company for almost three years and is a current native St. Louisan.
