BREAKING: Aretha Franklin Has Died

So young. God obviously needed another baby angel.

RIP The Queen of Soul. We won’t see another like her.

MSNBC is doing a special right now about her.

RIP, Queen. What a voice.

Vale Aretha.

RIP Aretha. R.. E.. S..P..E..C..T Thank you for the music.

Her music was always a part of my life and always will be.

Gratitude always for this special, glorious person.

What was on her ipod?

RIP Aretha!

Why are they interrupting my programming?

She was the Queen of Soul, not the Queen of America.

r8 "Mary, Don't you Weep."

The Queen of Soul food is now closed.

No way, I don’t believe you!

Queen of Soul has left us. RIP.

What was on her eight track?

Neither are you Madge you cunt. r10.

Aw, that's sad. A great talent and a fascinating life. RIP.

Damn.

Has Miss Warwick commented about Re’s passing?

[quote]Has Miss Warwick commented about Re’s passing?

She said a little prayer for her.

Gotta find me an angel…

RIP, Aretha.

I'm grateful her family gave out the news that she was dying, and requested good vibes and prayers to be sent her way. I hope it helped her along with her transition, and it felt good to be able to say goodbye while she was still alive and could feel all of the love being sent her way. Yes, I know, MARY!

Two giant tits are drooping at half mastectomy.

RIP Queen!

I will be playing her 1972 Amazing Grace album all day.

She was like no other.

Would we ever know what illness she had? at least the sanitized version? RIP Queen!

[quote] I hope it helped her along with her transition

She died, Mary, she didn’t turn into a butterfly.

Excellent, R11.

So, she passed at 9:50 this morning and it was due to pancreatic cancer--something her people always denied...

Bye bye, Aretha. Your pain is over.

Don Lemon on CNN now, CRYING.

Her Kennedy Center appearance is epic. All class with a bit of sass in that mink her performance gave me chills. Look it up if you haven't seen it

Now this is going to be a funeral.

Is the orange shitgibbon going to say something cringeworthy because she sang at Obama's inauguration? I could see him doing that.

R27, pancreatic cancer. Is she the Legend Dying of AIDS in the current Blind Item?

Don Lemon is hysterically crying.

Truly, one of the great voices in the American pantheon of singers. She could have done it all if she wanted. Her voice WAS soulful, so being called the Queen of Soul, really had meaning. Long live the Queen. Amen!

Thank you, Aretha. So much great music, and what a voice!

CNN keep showing HORRIBLE photos of her looking terrible and ancient. None in her prime.

How will Madonna make this all about herself again like Princess Diana’s death or Michael Jackson’s? Bitch had the nerve to die on her birthday!

One of her best

Save me, Don Lemon.

Both of Aretha's sisters died young of cancer. That she lasted so long is a miracle.

[quote] Bye bye, Aretha. Your pain is over.

MARY!!!!

She always believed in me.

Vale

76 is a respectable age to go, especially for one that wasn’t in good health.

Why did she lose so much damn weigh in 2011 again?

Wait ,did I heard right Elvis died same date?

Celebs like Stevie Wonder and Janet Jackson visited her yesterday. She was apparently talking.

Oh, dear --- the photos on CNN are HORRIBLE.

r36 If you really think she died of AIDS you are a moron. No way with her lifestyle would she have lived as long as she did with HIV and been so heavy and smoked and drank. She lived a long life, cancer is a bitch. CDAN loves to give all the gays and black people HIV, they are right wing.

Don Lemon is holding back the tears. He's milking it.

"Don stay with me!" - NO - let Don go!

Thank god they shelved Don for Roger Friedman

Ms. Ross Verified account @DianaRoss @DianaRoss

There is a bright FLAME about to go out , ONLY GOD KNOW WHEN Say a prayer and let her go -deep Breath

8:02 AM - 15 Aug 2018

Don't cry, bitches. You still have me!

Ha! R20...

Trump calls her a dog in 5...4...3...2....

Aretha at the Kennedy Center Honors - KILLING IT!!

The Queen is dead; long live her legacy.

RIP Ree-Ree.

I'm glad that she got to go at home instead of in the hospital.

"Now this is going to be a funeral."

The funeral planner must watch Imitation of Life immediately - nothing less will do.

All hail the Queen! RIP, Auntie Ree-Ree.

The BBC are showing clips from the 60s - THANK GOD. SO magical.

What great and beautiful gowns will she wear to her own funeral?

Weird, she died on Madonna's 60th birthday.

Aretha died on Madonna's 60th birthday. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

The two performances that I think will go down in HISTORY for me were;

1) The DIVAS performance where Mariah Carey thought that she could hang with Miss Aretha. The other girls knew to sit their asses down. Anyway, Ree-Ree just stared at Mariah with a look of; "Little girl, please" and then went on to hit notes no one thought she could and TORE THE HOUSE DOWN!

2) When she helped her friend Pavarotti and stepped in at last minute to sing Nessun dorma.

We knew it was imminent. Even so, seeing it on the Yahoo homepage caused a visceral shock. The finality of it is surreal. She was my first concert at age 12, beloved in my household and when I became an adult I bought all her records. She has always been, so it's hard to imagine a world without her.

r68 Twas...MURTHER!

Respect.

Never understood her appeal.

Beyonce's going to find a way to make this all about herself.

[quote]Weird, she died on Madonna's 60th birthday.

Aretha died on the same day Elvis did. King of Rock and Roll, Queen of Soul. Madge better watch out.

Your loss, R73.

I’m gonna ask if I can go home early because Aretha Franklin died. It’s worth a try.

She had her first baby at age 12.

Wow. Did not know.

It’s hard to believe Aretha was only 14 years older than Madonna.

Ms. Ross Verified account @DianaRoss

I’m sitting in prayer for the wonderful golden spirit Aretha Franklin.

Do we have to keep bringing fucking trash like Madonna into this?

The only thing I don’t like about the Obamas they act so giddy about Beyoncé who doesn’t have a small fraction of the talent of Aretha.

May the true diva Rest In Peace.

R79 Math challenged.

Madge isn’t queen of anything. Positive anyway.

Is that little bitch Don Lemon really crying?

Elvis passed away 41 years ago today and will be there to say 'welcome home!'

Her voice... full of soul heart passion power!

The Washington Post tribute - the best I've seen so far. >>

Donald Trump Verified Account @DonaldTrump

Overrated Aretha Franklin just Died, sang at Obama’s Inauguration. Zero RESPECT For this dog! Fake Voice! But since I am the Bigger person, RIP, I guess!

If Obama were in office she'd have a National Funeral fitting the Queen.

RIP, Ree. A life well lived.

Wow, r60. That was Dec 2015. She looked amazing. What a performance.

Okay....

Trump is going to LOSE his mind! Too much coverage mentioning Dr. Martin Luther King, Aretha Franklin, and.... Barack Obama, all in the same breath.

I'll start taking bets on how long it will take the White House to issue a statement.

I'll start with $10 on 12 noon.

Stop R89. He's a fucking asshole, but you don't need to make up tweets that support his "fake news."

Just what we need: Another vacant house

Not support make fun of ,dummy.

Do you know who'd have no fucking time for contrived, cloying and gushing statements of remembrance?

Aretha.

The greatest funeral I've ever seen, one that celebrated the life, music and love of a great artist was for Sabah in Beirut. You might want to check it on You Tube.

I hope Aretha's funeral is this happy and outrageous.

You're the dummy R95.

An other worldly talent.

And, as someone upthread almost got correct, it is weird that Madonna is only 16 years younger. It feels like Aretha was decades older.

RIP Aretha, your talent shown above all the rest and will be remembered.

Agree r63, thats the funeral she deserves. Just beautiful.

I am 57 and have adored her voice my entire life. Amazing artist and she will be missed, like Prince. Hail Queen.

Trump is going to be really pissed. All he had to do was hold off for one more day and Omarosa would have been put on the back shelf. Instead he used his Trump card to change the direction of the news to security clearances.

I loved Aretha’s duet with Luther Vandross and George Michael. Actually I loved all her music. Aretha will be missed. Rest In Peace Queen of Soul. The heaven’s have opened their gates to welcome Aretha today. She is joining a great group of talented performers. God Bless Aretha.

My local classical music station broke in to say 'The Queen has died'. I thought they meant QEII, and was trying not to have a meltdown, but then they clarified that it was Aretha. I'm still upset, though. I've never known life without her presence, and I'm going to miss her terribly.

Thank You for the Music, Aretha!

r77 Pull a Don Lemon, and they'll let you off just so they won't have to be around it.

Most memorable celebrity memorial service to date was that of James Baldwin, held at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

Can we please gift Miss Franklin, deservedly, with the National Mall?

Magical....A Song For You

For once I actually am crying as I type.

Please let the issues with Sydney Pollack's Amazing Grace documentary now be resolved so we can all see this wonderful star at her very peak

I remember seeing R60's performance.

RIP.

Tell Martha no to moan, r108.

Aretha always showed how it could be done best.

[Quote]It’s hard to believe Aretha was only 14 years older than Madonna.

Actually, it's not.

"Mourning the loss today of @ArethaFranklin who shared her spirit and talent with the world. She deserves not only our RESPECT but also our lasting gratitude for opening our eyes, ears and hearts. Rest in eternal peace, my friend."

- Hillary Clinton

Truly a great loss here on earth but the heavens are singing today. The Queen of Soul.

Amazingly she had the time to raise four sons. Aretha was way ahead of her time to be an advocate for women.

Two of her sons arrived before she was even 16

r112 I love how she's styled like the perfect revolutionary lesbian of the era. Very cute.

RIP Aretha.

So sad about this I'm so desperate to see it.

R115, rich people do not raise their own children. Plus the way they turned out is nothing to brag about.

Drag queens are mourning the woman who sang, "You make me feel like a natural woman."

Trump has weighed in: Donald J. Trump ‏ Verified account

@realDonaldTrump 1m1 minute ago More The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, is dead. She was a great woman, with a wonderful gift from God, her voice. She will be missed!

Dammit, she died in the middle of my book tour?! Please put the spotlight back on me!

I'll fix Re-Re's ass. I have her on tape.

Trump needs to get her name out of his filthy mouth. Fuck him for even thinking he's enough of a man to mention her name.

SHIT! I had a little less than a half hour to go to win the bet!

[quote]Trump is going to LOSE his mind! Too much coverage mentioning Dr. Martin Luther King, Aretha Franklin, and.... Barack Obama, all in the same breath. I'll start taking bets on how long it will take the White House to issue a statement. I'll start with $10 on 12 noon.

[Quote]Amazingly she had the time to raise four sons.

Well, when you start birthing at the age of 12, you'll definitely have the time.

Paul McCartney

Let’s all take a moment to give thanks for the beautiful life of Aretha Franklin, the Queen of our souls, who inspired us all for many many years. She will be missed but the memory of her greatness as a musician and a fine human being will live with us forever. Love Paul

Someone probably made Trump tweet that. He must HATE her - Democrat who sang at Carter, Clinton and Obama inaugurals! And she's BLACK!

It already feels strange to be living in a world without Aretha in it. MARY me all you want, this is hard to deal with

I'm verklempt!!

Just announced on my local ABC channel, she has pancreatic cancer. Which I do not buy. I had several friends die from pancreatic cancer and most didn't live beyond a few months after diagnosis. One lived close to a year after diagnosis, which was nothing short of a miracle.

Exactly how did she live so long with this horrible type of cancer?

Many think she had AIDS.

[quote]It already feels strange to be living in a world without Aretha in it. MARY me all you want, this is hard to deal with

from now on she'll always be dead.

whenever you hear her songs - you'll think "She's dead!"

and then you'll get used to it.

Who gets her clothes? I want them!

So pregnant at 12...2nd child at 15...who? I've always heard it was her father.....

Aretha weighed 85 lbs. She must have had a strong will to live. RIP Aretha the Queen of Soul.

Leave it to Trump to have the TACKIEST tweet.

It was sort of dragged out. Aretha's sick. Aretha's very sick. Aretha's REAL sick. Why did we have to know?

R131 is a moron.

Aretha was a giant. I'm glad I was fortunate to hear her music in this lifetime.

I can't get over how quickly Livvy made her statement.

Stevie said she did this/his song better than he did.

Otis said she did Respect better than he did.

[quote] Elvis passed away 41 years ago today

That means he's been dead for almost as long as he was alive. Strange thought.

[quote] Oh, dear --- the photos on CNN are HORRIBLE.

They’re showing photos of the corpse?

I love her very early PRE-hit parade songs.

I am gonna HAUNT THE SHIT out of the trick at R143.

Good to see the BBC coverage state that bubble gum rocker Elton John was “leading the tributes” on social media. Yes when I think of Memphis R&B, the first person who springs to mind is

R131, Ruth Bader Ginsburg had pancreatic cancer. Still Alive.

R141, someone did a wonderful mix of both versions. He died WAY too young (aged 26, plane accident).

RIP Aretha Franklin what a voice

Aretha Franklin, New York City 1960

The real QUEEN

Is it too early to discuss that Aretha was not, um, shall I say, the most agreeable person?

Few of us are.

President Clinton and Secretary Clinton

"Hillary and I mourn the loss of our friend Aretha Franklin, one of America's greatest national treasures. For more than 50 years, she stirred our souls. She was elegant, graceful, and utterly uncompromising in her artistry. Aretha's first music school was the church and her performances were powered by what she learned there. I'll always be grateful for her kindness and support, including her performances at both my inaugural celebrations, and for the chance to be there for what sadly turned out to be her final performance last November at a benefit supporting the fight against HIV/AIDS. She will forever be the Queen of Soul and so much more to all who knew her personally and through her music. Our hearts go out to her family and her countless fans."

No, darling R153, Aretha did things with epic proportions.

No god can deal with that wretched siren of a voice.

The AIDS

How would she have gotten AIDS? Did she sleep with Luther?

I just want to say that flights of angels and Queen of Soul and Our Heavenly Father and no one could quite the way and precious treasure and may she always and blessed peace and touched by the divine and no one ever and crying as I type!

Do stop with the aids, it's peculiar.

Nothing from Oprah? WTH?

Is Don Lemon okay? Please, someone...anyone, check and get back to us.

[quote][R131] is a moron.

A moron, why? Because there were rumors that an ex of hers gave her AIDS?

Did you follow her career? Were you actually longtime fan, as many here are? Didn't think so. Don't go name calling without the facts! The rumors about AIDS have been floating around for YEARS.

Anyone can get AIDS. Even fucking someone once while unprotected. Don't be in denial. No one said Aretha was promiscuous, all it takes is once with a sick person.

That young Gertz heiress died years ago from AIDS, her fiancé was bisexual, he gave it to her.

Chris Cillizza @CillizzaCNN

Donald Trump on Aretha Franklin per White House pool report: “He described her as a person he knew well and who worked for him.”

8:59 AM - 16 Aug 2018

The loss of @ArethaFranklin is a blow for everybody who loves real music: Music from the heart, the soul and the Church. Her voice was unique, her piano playing underrated – she was one of my favourite pianists.

Elton John

I was fortunate enough to spend time with her and witness her last performance – a benefit for @ejaf at St John The Divine Cathedral. She was obviously unwell, and I wasn’t sure she could perform. But Aretha did and she raised the roof.

She sang and played magnificently, and we all wept. We were witnessing the greatest soul artist of all time. I adored her and worshipped her talent. God bless her. My condolences to all her family and friends. We shared the same birthday – and that meant so much to me.

The whole world will miss her but will always rejoice in her remarkable legacy. The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen. #RIPArethaFranklin

Elton xx

r155 When a talent such as hers needed to rally the many other disagreeable sorts around her. Well, epic proportions are called for.

I love her very, very much - but not so much her stuff after 1970. She had a short window of greatness.

That tacky 80s shit with George Michael for example - gurl, no...and Pink Cadillac...gurl, no #2

To the one slagging Elton. Elton John , like a lot of White Pop stars back in the day actually had the cojones to HANG with the people that they looked up to back in the day. Do you know that Elton John got his playing chops from the Isley Brothers. Not imitating them, actually playing with them. A lot of new brand second hand "music" fans are more than ignorant about the family tree of POP music in the Anglosphere that started , whether one likes it , or not in The U.S South. Even reggae got its influence in the days of Rocksteady from listening to R&B stations from New Orleans whose signals could be picked up in "the islands". So much isms and schisms and a decided lack of joy and talent in music and its audience , today. And I'm not a fan of Elton John past the 80s, I'm Black and I'm not down for the disrespect. Elton John never took no food out of the mouths of anybody on here or Aretha Franklin.

RIP Aretha and trod good, mi gyal.

Is douchebag Dump going to claim he helped Aretha in her career?! What a piece of shit he is!

Always insinuating himself in others lives, acting as if he was responsible for their careers. He's an imbecile and completely delusional.

Every black celebrity that dies, dies from AIDS according to you racist scumbags.

Dearest Aretha, thank you for giving us all your gift, thank you for being the queen of soul and forever in our memories. What a legacy! Rather than commiserate your death I will be celebrating your life for the next few weeks. Love you forever xxx

Ahhh. Dionne is on CNN!

Did she perform at his Atlantic City casino or something?

[quote]To the one slagging Elton. Elton John , like a lot of White Pop stars back in the day actually had the cojones to HANG with the people that they looked up to back in the day. Do you know that Elton John got his playing chops from the Isley Brothers. Not imitating them, actually playing with them. A lot of new brand second hand "music" fans are more than ignorant about the family tree of POP music in the Anglosphere

A lot of black American singers of the 60s went to England to get the respect they deserved. Otis, Hendrix, the Tax crowd...they couldn't believe the way they were treated there. You must also remember London was music central in the mid-60s. Sounds odd now,

Aretha was also worshipped in France very early on.

A true queen, a unique talent. She left a treasure of musical jewels but seeing her step in for Pavarotti and sing nessum fucking dorma always gives me goosebumps.

RIP baby.

Oh god, Dionne is dissing Aretha for attitude.

[quote] the Tax crowd..

sorry, the STAX crowd

R168, fuck you.

Watching the tributes and clips of Aretha's performances shows what a true talent and legend she was. Today's popular singers are such talentless pieces of shit.

[quote]Today's popular singers are such talentless pieces of shit.

What I can't stand is people interviewing them on the TV today at great length about Aretha. What the fuck do they know about her?

I can't fucking stand CNN. So disrespectful.

That was a nice tribute from Barbra Streisand.

Incidentally, Barbra and Aretha were the same age. Aretha was one month older.

Aretha was in a class of her own. She was an icon of American music, the Queen of Soul.

In 1987 Aretha gave George Michael an opportunity of a lifetime. Michael had only released two singles after leaving Wham! his solo career was just beginning. George Michael deeply admired and respected Aretha. Aretha treated George as if he was her equal. Obviously George knew he wasn’t but he was overwhelmed with how much respect Aretha showed him while working on their smash hit “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me). Aretha said George had a very unique sound, very different from anything that was out there. Aretha, the Queen of Soul’s duet was her last number one single in both the UK and US. George won his first Grammy enshrining his status as a soul singer. Obviously it was beneficial for both of them. However, Aretha was the Queen of Soul and was willing to perform a duet with George. I think it speaks volumes of Aretha’s character. Two music icons gone but never forgotten.

Watching CNN now. God, John King used to be so hot. Now he looks like your drunk uncle.

Hey Nineteen That's 'Retha Franklin She don't remember the Queen of Soul It's hard times befallen The sole survivors She thinks I'm crazy But I'm just growing old

First Whitney. Now Aretha. When will it end????

Yes. John King = drunk Uncle Eddie out back talking to his reflection in the pool.

Inside Aretha Franklin's Final Years Outside of the Limelight

When this battle is ovah, who will wear the crown?

Omarosa might drop the N-word tapes TODAY! Just to knock this bitch right off the news cycle.

Rest in peace, Queen.

My favorite

If Omarosa dropped dropped the N word tapes just to piss off Trump because of his phony Aretha praises- then more power to her.

She had a baby at age 12, and another at 14. Neither (supposedly) a result of incest or rape, just some boyfriend at school. And her father, a minister, didn't have a problem with this??

R169 Elton John and George Michael both respected The Queen of Soul as well as the Isley Elton and George had no problem admitting where they got their roots from. R & B and Motown played a key part in their music. Aretha, Elton, George, Prince and so on all have soul as their roots. Aretha and Stevie Wonder were more than generous sharing their riches and songs with performers that were smart enough to actually get it! Stevie said you have to be born with soul. There is no question that Aretha was the Queen of Soul.

It's still my birthday faggots, so can you please move on?

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

[quote] faggots,

nice.

[quote]so can you please move on? —Madonna, Queen of pop

Queen of the DECLINE of pop.

You really are tacky, R197.

I wonder if a lesser celeb will also die today, and be forgotten?

Like when Farrah Fawcett kicked it the same day as M Jackson.

We’ll miss you Queen. #ArethaQueenForever

- Oprah Winfrey

Watching Aretha Franklin perform at the White House, and on so many other occasions, made time stand still. @BarackObama and I are holding Aretha’s family in our hearts right now. She will forever be our Queen of Soul.

- Michelle Obama

I have loved Aretha Franklin’s music my entire life, and her music has played in our audience for 15 years. My heart goes out to her family. #RESPECT #QueenofSoul

- Ellen DeGeneres

Her Royal Highness, the Queen of Soul, has passed. What Aretha Franklin left us lives on. Her music & her royal presence. A civil rights & women’s rights activist, she’s an international treasure w/ a powerhouse voice overflowing w/ HEART like no other. We love you, Aretha!!

- Paula Abdul

Rest In Peace, Queen

- Kathy Griffin

All the respect is yours Aretha... R.I.P. you will be missed.

- Chynna Phillips

The first two kids had to be incest babies, right?

At her funeral she's going to throw off the fur stole.

The greatest voice in American popular music has been stilled. Our beloved #ArethaFranklin has gone. For me, she was a musical lighthouse, guiding and inspiring with every note. I loved her so and love her still. Goodbye, Queen of Soul.

- Bette Midler

Deeply sad this morning. Aretha Franklin has left us and her blessed family. She Lifted up the best angels of our nature. May her legacy of truth, love, hope, and joy live on in all of us.

- Goldie Hawn

This is the face of a young man who couldn't believe he was actually singing with the GREATEST OF ALL TIME. Thank you, Ms. Franklin for blessing us with your incomparable gift. Honored to have shared the stage with you even for a moment. Always bowing down to you. #QueenofSoul

What a life. What a legacy! So much love, respect and gratitude. R.I.P. @ArethaFranklin

- Carole King

- Justin Timberlake

Please let Aretha RIP. She is no longer with us, however, she does have family. What difference does it make what illness she died from. She was an icon in the music industry.

Okay here is good one for you trolls. So some say George Michael was positive so I guess that means George gave aids to Aretha.

Some people are just degenerates.

R109 The world needs to see the documentary of the making of her double live Amazing Grace album in 1972 at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles!

Please, please release it!

RIP Aretha

- Pink

Aretha Franklin. The Queen of Soul. The Icon. The ultimate singers' singer. The greatest singer and musician of my lifetime. The power of your voice in music and in civil rights blew open the door for me and so many others. You were my inspiration, my mentor and my friend.

- Mariah Carey

Thank you, Aretha. Detroit and the world will never be the same.

- Michael Moore

I’m sitting in prayer for the wonderful golden spirit Aretha Franklin.

- Diana Ross

R205 Yeah it's the same trolls who ruined George Michael threads now doing it to Aretha's

“I am deeply saddened about the passing of the Queen of Soul and my sister in song, Aretha Franklin. Today the world has experienced a tremendous loss. Aretha was a rare treasure whose unmatched musical genius helped craft the soundtrack to the lives of so many,”

- Patti Labelle

Queen... My Queen

- Anita Baker

It was a double thrill for me to perform on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera on my 85th birthday and have the Queen of Soul (and heart) Aretha Franklin singing with me....she will be missed by the world.

- Tony Bennett

Rest In Peace to our Queen of Soul. Her contribution to music and to the empowerment and enrichment of our hearts, Spirits and souls is immeasurable. Thank you Ms. Aretha Franklin for sharing your anointed gifts with us. They changed the world. We are deeply grateful!

- Ms. Lauryn Hill

R195, Aretha's father was one of those wild-man ministers who sinned a lot in his private life. That was one of the reasons the incest rumors about Aretha's first sons got such traction: no one would have put anything passed Rev. Franklin. Also, Aretha's talent was obvious very early on; she became a centerpiece of his services when she was just a girl, so it's not as though she was going to be kicked out of the house.

Elton John says she was one of his favourite pianists, which interests me. I never really paid attention to her piano-playing - the voice overshadowed all else!

Who the fuck is Sabah, r97? That blonde who looked like a combo of Mae West and Evita?

That was brilliant, r20!

No comment from Beyonce, Nikki Minage, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande.

R186, when I was young, maybe 19, I would notice as my parents would be stunned after the death of a politician or celebrity, and ponder how the milestone fell into the timeline of their own lives, making them acutely feel the passage of time and their own mortality. I would wonder when that would happen to me.

I think it happened this morning.

I grew up listening to Aretha Franklin at a time when white boys where I lived all stuck to Led Zepplin and the like. In the late seventies and early eighties, the Black kids around me were listening to young acts The Gap Band and Shalamar.

But I played her records into the ground. In fact, I was and remain a fan of some of her eighties material, especially the underrated and largely forgotten Love All the Hurt Away album.

One of my favorite tracks is a remake at Sam and Dave’s Hild On, I’m Comin’. She adds an element of breezy funk and playfulness (including reciting soulful versions of nursery rhymes) without losing any of the positivity of the original, a force of benevolence and outright joy.

Like so many of us who grew up isolated and feeling shame or fear because of who we were, I needed to feel hope and love. I had to find it in the records I’d spin in my room alone after the world had gone to sleep. Aretha Franklin could fill up all that emptiness and solitude with a single note, and when I listened to Hikd On, I’m Comin’, I felt like rescue was on the horizon.

RIP.

- Oprah Winfrey

Watching Aretha Franklin perform at the White House, and on so many other occasions, made time stand still. @BarackObama and I are holding Aretha’s family in our hearts right now. She will forever be our Queen of Soul.

This is pretty obnoxious. Oprah wanting us to know she was a guest at the White House and also that she and Barack Obama are grieving together. Her comment is all about her!

Did Oprah ever interview Aretha?

r216....that was Michelle Obamas tweet.....Oprahs tweet was above it.

The MLB.com FB page reposted this gem.

ANNIE LENNOX

Her voice will soar forever

As the One and Only ‘ Queen of Soul ‘ Aretha Franklin was simply peerless. She has reigned supreme, and will always be held in the highest firmament of stars as the most exceptional vocalist, performer and recording artist the world has ever been privileged to witness. Superlatives are often used to describe astonishing singers.. but in my view, even superlatives cannot be sufficient.

Everyone who loved her will be saying little prayers of gratitude, respect and appreciation for the musical life force that enriched our lives . Her voice will soar forever.

Reese Witherspoon

So sad to hear about #ArethaFranklin passing. An extraordinary artist who used her talent to lift up others around her. Rest In Peace to the #QueenofSoul.

RIP. She was a good girl.

Kelly Clarkson ‏ Aretha Franklin is the reason why I sing from that part deep inside of me that few could ever reach. She was my favorite and will always be. What a gift she has left all of us with her musical footprints. There will never be another like her. She was truly special. #QueenOfSoul

"The man who gets me is getting one hell of a woman."

10 iconic quotes from the #QueenofSoul who commanded the world's respect with her timeless voice

Smokey Robinson

This morning my longest friend in this world went home to be with our Father. I will miss her so much but I know she’s at peace. #QueenOfSoul

Rest In Peace Aretha Franklin. You gave us many years of amazing music. Thank you for being a shining star in music and in how to live.

Peter Daou Verified account @peterdaou

OBAMAS ON ARETHA: "Graced with a glimpse of the divine."

CLINTONS ON ARETHA: "One of America's greatest national treasures."

TRUMP ON ARETHA: "She worked for me."

#ArethaFranklin

She was the voice of a generation and my idol since childhood. RIP, Patti LaBelle!

I would like to say, may God Bless you to Eric Braeden.

[quote]Every black celebrity that dies, dies from AIDS according to you racist scumbags.

Of course, you assume everyone who heard Aretha died from AIDS is not black?! Everyone is a racist who repeats these claims?! What utter morons post at DL!

I am a black man who happens to be British, you fucking asshole. That rumour has been around for a few years, that The Queen of Soul was ill with AIDS.

What about that tea is "racist"?

Aretha Franklin was a torchbearer for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games.

Farewell to the #QueenOfSoul.

R171 that's true

Every black celebrity that dies, dies from AIDS according to you racist scumbags.

And Every gay celebrity that dies, dies from AIDS according to you homophobic scumbags.

Well, you know, she had a lot of attitude and she sang some of MY songs.

Homosexual singer Lionel Richie ‏ Her voice; her presence; her style

No one did it better

Truly the Queen of Soul

I will miss you!

r139, ol' ol' ol' ol' Livvy knows she has to respond fast, as she doesn't have any time to waste.

Of course Trump's response is to talk about how Aretha "worked for him"

That fucking dingbat.

RIP, Lady Soul.

I can't help but think that she died of complications of weight loss surgery, not of cancer.

I just watched Aretha and the gang performing “Jumpin Jack Flash”. Not sure who was having more fun ... Aretha or Whoopi’s singing back up. Aretha had some hairdo in that video.

Thanks Aretha

GRIEF, HONEY! GRIEF!!!

"Report: Argument over Aretha Franklin leads to shooting in Virginia"

The Queen is Dead.

R240 Was this at a Waffle House?

OH! How nice:

NASA Verified account @NASA

We’re saddened by the loss of Aretha Franklin. Asteroid 249516 Aretha, found by our NEOWISE mission and named after the singer to commemorate the #QueenOfSoul, will keep orbiting beyond Mars. See more details: go(dot)nasa(dot)gov/2Pfkdkb

RIP Aretha. I think about her in the movie The Blues Brothers. She was sassin her old man and singing Think. She was fabulous.

Elton John can play Memphis R&B, r146.

"Bubblegum rocker," my ass. You're just a cheap homophobe.

I can't think of one song by Elton John that sounds like "Bubblegum rock," honestly.

R232, Vai a farti fottere, sei un idiota!

ُSerial Rapist Bill Cosby Thanks Aretha Franklin for ‘A Different World’ Theme Song, Playing Her Music After Death

"Freeway of Love" is a good song, r168.

It was a massive hit. #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, topping the Hot R&B Singles chart for five weeks and the album went platinum.

Besides, my favorite Aretha Franklin song didn't come around until 1971.

It's "Rock Steady," even though the song is not Rock Steady!

Celebrities die in threes. My predictions for next two deaths are Cicely Tyson and Johnny Depp.

Do we WANT a comment from Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande?

pfffft

And that's the other performance I want to share, r244.

"Think" was the biggest hit that Aretha Franklin actually wrote herself, which makes her worthier of a crown than most divas.

THE BLUES BROTHERS is also one of the best movies ever made from Saturday Night Live, and that's partly because of the musical cameos by classic R&B performers like Franklin, Ray Charles and James Brown.

So enjoy two classics at once:

Over the line R89

Radio silence from Susan Dey.

"Aretha Franklin taught the world that true Soul comes when your loaded, banker parents in Manhattan buy you writers and media saturation."

@taylorswift

R211, Aretha Franklin could play the HELL out of a piano. OMG, you don't know. Go to YouTube and find some shit to listen to.

From R240's link:

[quote] An argument between two people over Aretha Franklin and Halle Berry led to a shooting that left one injured, according to a report from WTKR-TV in Virginia. Police in Suffolk, Va., say the incident began around 10:45 a.m. Thursday morning. A witness told WTKR-TV that it started with an argument over whether Berry played Franklin in a film.

Jesus Christ. You'd think they'd at least have checked Wikipedia before resorting to gunfire.

Skip to 01:10 mark. This is funny stuff.

If the world was still full of great pop &/or soul singers (she was both) I wouldn't find this so depressing.

She was my mamie.

^Although it has been brought to my attention that my husband, Dwight D, has negro blood in him, I have NEVER, EVER been colored.

Google Aretha Franklin on Steve Allen and you will get a load of the immense pure and singular talent that was Aretha- before she was the Queen of Soul. No way this talent and supreme vocal artist and musician would not soar. In fact she already was- it was just a matter of time until she found he right material to show the whole world, via Atlantic Records.

Rip....

R260 had she made any good music in the last 25 years?

I´m so gonna pig-out tonight in her honor.

tearsalted

Nessun Dorma on at the Grammy Awards in 1998- Google it R265

R265

[quote]I can't think of one song by Elton John that sounds like "Bubblegum rock," honestly.

Don’t want to detract too much from the subject of this thread - and I DO like a lot of Elton John’s very eclectic repertoire - but, besides his seventies glam rock persona, I can think of a few bubble gum moments in his career:

Crocodile Rock

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

Bad Blood

All bubblegum songs, geared at 12-year-olds, and I know because I was 13 when I LOVED Crocodile Rock.

Vale Aretha

Aretha and Dionne - "I Say A Little Prayer" (1981)

Dionne - "Who's Zoomin' Who?" (1986)

See Franklin during her prime. Opening number "Satisfaction." Live concert 1968. Begins at 06:20 mark.

"Another Night" (1986)

Aretha Franklin Sang Her Way Through America's History. Her Passing Is the End of an Era

This gif is completely a propos. Ascend, Queen of Soul, back to whence ye came.

Respect - The Very Best of Aretha Franklin

Berry Gordy’s son is on CNN paying tribute to her now... and he’s a HUGE QUEEN!!!

Sunday Morning Classics

Dl always turns into a huge cringfest when some celeb dies, just last week you queens were making endless fat jokes about mrs. aretha, now she's a queen. Lol.

Exactly. I’ve been here 20 years and never realised Aretha was a DL favourite, all the lurid tales you bitches have told about her over the years.

Has Patti LaBelle weighed in yet?

What about her son/brother y’all been gossiping about for years?

Damn, what a bunch of sentimental saps you lot are - you got to learn to love people while they’re alive! Now pass me some banana pudding and some ‘nilla wafers!

R278 Which son, Rockwell? The one who was in LMFAO?

[quote]Exactly. I’ve been here 20 years and never realised Aretha was a DL favourite

She wasn't.

But people are honoring her today. Shut up.

Kween

R282, Terry Gordy

I love you guys.

LTTR

[quote] never realised Aretha was a DL favourite

Pretty sure Aretha was an "everywhere" favourite.

Unlike Diana Ross, she’s no gay icon.

r289...lol....please....nobody...NOBODY threw shade like Aretha.....and she was even more loved because of it.

The PBS News Hour lead today’s telecast announcing Aretha’s death.

The world lost a cultural icon, RIP Aretha.

[quote]If the world was still full of great pop &/or soul singers (she was both) I wouldn't find this so depressing.

Same here. Aretha's death has really made me think about how the current music scene is just complete garbage full of no-talent imbeciles. It's a shame.

Aretha Franklin - That's The Way I Feel About Cha

Aretha doing an old Bobby Womack classic, produced by Quincy Jones

Aretha Franklin & Levi Stubbs - I Wanna Make It Up To You

Soul Music at its finest!

And here she is doing the Delfonics’ Didnt I Blow Your Mind This Time.

It makes me wish she had done more covers in her later career.

R290 She lacks the glamor of Diana

R250, What it is................

R297, so who cares?

Diana is a strictly a pop singer. I love her, but she ain't no Lady Soul.

R301 You even know how many r& b hits she got ?

Never one to disappoint, President Trump issues statement...

R302, okay, as I said, I love Diana Ross and I loved her with the Supremes.

But having "glamor" is very much a thing of the MTV generation. Are you under 40; I am just curious?

Aretha was attractive, but no great beauty; she did not need to be! It's about her voice!

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

Trump said Aretha worked for him ?

And on Madonna's 60th birthday too. The nerve.

r50. With many forms of cancer you can talk right up until death. I know my aunt did. She was about the same age as Aretha. She was talking the day before she died. Your basically on so many pain medications, your cells are killing themselves but your brain is in tact.

Photo in R307, Aretha looks the prettiest with natural hair and less, not more, makeup.

Aretha was never attractive or pretty

I've always liked her Walk On By.

On Twitter, Madonna is yammering on about her birthday. Not a word about Aretha.

R312 Dionne owns that song.

Its hard to believe that Diana Ross is only 2 years younger than Aretha. Aretha Franklin, RIP, probably should have gotten her weight in check many moons ago. I'm pretty sure years of bad dieting exacerbated her cancer.

I wish people would stop with the Madonna. I guess I should have found a str8 board on a day like today.

Is is true she never been on a plane? Does that meant she never been to Europe or Asia?

This track lacks some glamor

[quote]George won his first Grammy enshrining his status as a soul singer.

Eh, he’d already sang at the Apollo- the Night of the Mic Grab no less- a year or two earlier. He was already recognized as a soul singer albeit of the blue-eyed variety.

Track=thread

Disrespectful.

Aretha had some pretty days, you bitches. Her voice was a glory and her purpose was greater than glamour. I love Diana Ross but we'll grieve her when she goes. As Aretha used to say "Don't get worried before worry gets there."

Nobody was ever gonna convince Ms. Franklin she was less than beautiful anyways.

Florence

I hope someone would correct me if I'm wrong but today would have been such a wonderful opportunity to unite the nation as we grieve the loss of a national treasure. Why the Republican Congress and/or more prominent Republicans have not come out to express condolences about such a great loss is very telling. So what it Franklin was a Democrat and sang for the Obamas at numerous events, she was an American citizen first and represented us worldwide quite well.

Aretha did not develop her fear of flying until the late seventies. Before that, she toured Europe and other places abroad.

Call me the minute you get there....I love you too. Fantastic.

One of my favorite things about Aretha was that, I'm not sure when, but at some point in her life she reached the point where she just did her thing and didn't give two fucks what anyone else thought. She threw shade, she wore fur, she showed her titties, and ate what she wanted. And the lady was still faxing shit. You got love that kind of freedom and self confidence.

....

So true.

I don't care what y'all say but this IS an important issue! Where's the money and where's it going?

"Aretha Franklin Had an Estimated Net Worth of $80 Million — What's at Stake?"

[quote]Is is true she never been on a plane? Does that meant she never been to Europe or Asia?

In the early 80s Aretha was on a flight that got caught in a storm and had terrible turbulence. She was so shaken up by that she swore off flying. I don't know if she ever resumed touring Europe, but for many years she wouldn't because she refused to fly.

R330 how was she worth 4 times more than Nippy

Tonight on Jimmy Fallon

The gay husband... err... the allegedly gay husband, Glynn Turman saw her on Tuesday. She was in and out of consciousness but according to him they were able to talk. So, I guess Wednesday was the day that her body really shut down.

Apparently Aretha and the Sweet Inspirations (her backing singers) only recorded "I Say a Little Prayer" while warming up during rehearsals in the studios, and hadn't initially intended to release it as a single. I definitely prefer Aretha's version to Dionne's original. Dionne's is nice but a bit lightweight, even cutesy. Aretha's version sounds more mature, and she sings it like she feels every single word.

But when it comes to another Bacharach/David track, "This Girl's in Love with You", I much prefer Dionne's version. Her understated performance matches the song perfectly. Aretha over-sings it, IMO.

Dusty also did a phenomenal version of "This Girl's In Love With You."

r332....she has been in the business for 60 years.....60 YEARS.....and we have no talent hacks and wannabe celebrities worth 10x what Aretha was worth....figure that out.

R60, thanks for the clip... it was everything..., A, classics, the Obamas... you forget good times ever existed some days.

Chaka Khan ‏

My heart 💔 is broken with the loss of my Queen, my Mentor, my True Friend 😪

I will always cherish our moments together and LOVE YOU FOREVER. My heartfelt condolences to your family #ArethaFranklin #SoulSister #QueenofSoul 💖

Why can't we have popular singers who are actually talented anymore? Why are they all a bunch of Autotuned idiots these days?

I still prefer Dionne’s I say a little prayer. Aretha lacks the subtlety. You can’t listen to it over and over like the original. It burns my ears.

Aretha Franklin performing Don't Play that Song in 1970. #RipArethaFranklin

R340 Try Jessie J.

😢

Dionne did a nice interview with Don Lemon this afternoon and said really kind words about Aretha. I could not believe she was commenting so soon, being that they threw shade at each other all these years. I did a huge gay gasp in the office when I saw her pop-up on the CNN stream, my coworkers were probably like WTF

Dionne Warwick isn't fit to carry Aretha's wig. And she's a crap human being.

Daily Beast: Aretha said "No, henny" when approached about performing at Cheeto coronation

RIP Aretha - wonderful wonderful Queen of Song and Soul. We love you. Bri

Rest In Peace❤️

Don Lemon is going to cry on air. Guarantee it. And it will be undignified.

I agree that Aretha’s version of “I Say A Little Prayer” was superior to Dionne’s especially the arrangement. Burt Bacharach said that when he played it he used her arrangement. I also prefer Dionne’s version of “The Girl’s In Love With You” to Aretha’s version.

One of things that was great about her is that she could be political without offending the other side. She let her art do the talking. She also accepted her calling as the Queen and met all obligations. Though she was the greatest she shared it with the world.

I hope that her family could work out something with the people that want to release the documentary that shows Aretha at what many consider the apex of her talent.

I really hope that Dionne doesn't start doing the media rounds.

[quote] I still prefer Dionne’s I say a little prayer.

Yes, it's gayer.

[quote] Aretha lacks the subtlety. You can’t listen to it over and over like the original. It burns my ears.

Mary quote of the week.

'retha was too butch for some of you gurls

To honour Aretha's passing, CNN will interrupt regular programming for the next six weeks to show every piece of Anthony Bourdain video they've got.

Patti Lahelle MUST do a Got 2B Real special for the late great Aretha! I love that people are viewing all the videos to cheer themselves up after hearing this news

Rest in piss

The obnoxious Cuomo is actually handling this beautifully tonight... one of the few times he's not making it all about him.

****

Over the next ten years all the stars of the 60s are going to "pass" - get used to it.

Until You Come Back To Me....

Dionne and Aretha never had any beef until the Whitney incident. Aretha used to speak every highly of Dionne and they even duetted when Ree did Solid Gold.

Stop making this about Dionne.

Even though Cissy Houston, Whitney’s mother, said later that Franklin was not the “I Will Always Love You” singer’s godmother, Franklin was still bothered by the comment.

Aretha said herself that she thought Dionne NEVER liked her.

She was an icon!

Who will get the furs? WHO WILL GET THE FURS????

This isn't one of her famous hits, but it's so lovely.

"A Rose is Still a Rose", written for Aretha by Lauryn Hill, is a fantastic '90's song.

FFS, not only is Don crying, he's singing along with Aretha. Like, buddy, if you can't keep it together, stay the fuck home.

I'm going to Netflix.

Cuomo is busted. Going all ham about his memory of Aretha's last minute Grammy performance of Nessun Dorma, then showing different footage of her performing the song at Musicares. He continues to say how well he remembers that moment and that he is like that little boy she hugs at the end. No little boy in the performance he's remembering, just the one they're showing.

Aretha also sang Nessun Dorma on Letterman. None of them are her best moments, though the Grammy story is enough to make it a legendary performance.

NOW get to cnn PEAK DON LEMON

Ree Ree and Mavis Staples....Oh Happy Day!

Miss Gladys looking bright and beautiful. She doesn't have to shade nobody. She has greatness of her own.

Don all washed out - he bin cryin' all day.

Really making it about himself, isn't he?

Aretha just had such a will to live. All her performances she looked so joyful. She answered the call, when the time came.

Leave Don alone. He's had a rough couple of weeks, and a rough year really. Let him cry as much as he wants!

Don's a bit washed out but his brows are on fleek in honor of Aretha.

Aretha Franklin - Until You Say You Love Me

I never cared for her music...too bombastic. And as Simon Cowell would say - "too screechy."

Aretha Franklin on fans, marriage, new music, Blues Brothers and Chicago

R379 amen

Do you all know Renee Fleming was in the Grammy audience that evening? She was THE official cover for the mercurial Pavarotti and had prepared and rehearsed accordingly.......but the gave it to Aretha.

[quote]Don all washed out - he bin cryin' all day. Really making it about himself, isn't he?

Maybe her song "Natural Woman" held a very deep and penetrating meaning for him.

Don isn't a news presenter he's a news “personality” - maybe that's what people want.

Aretha was many things, but bombastic? Nah, her words had meaning. Bombastic has an understanding that her words/ songs had no feeling. Probably Alanis Morissette but not Aretha

[quote] Unlike Diana Ross, she’s no gay icon.

I know way more gay folks who LOVE Aretha than Ross but that could be a cultural thing. Ross is probably more popular with majority culture gays.

Has Don calmed down yet? I can't bear to look.

Aretha put her money where her mouth is. She did so much for Civil Rights.

Ryan Murphy here's your next Feud.

Every fucking year is going to be the celebration of her death and not the birth of me. Bitch.

GLADYS KNIGHT

Aretha,

Well my sister, our Father in Heaven has called you home, but we are so very grateful to Him for blessing you with such an awesome gift to share with us. Your music set a standard for every single lady in this industry to rise to. You have touched minds, hearts and spirits, including my own. Yes, we are sisters and we squabbled as sisters do. But we also loved, supported and laughed together through our lifetime. I pray you have a smooth journey Ree Ree and hopefully I'll get to sing with you in the Heavenly choir. RESPECT to the Queen of Soul. 👑 I love you. - Gladys

R391 Lovely tribute and an amazing photo of Queen Re Re Re 💓

W Dr. King.

She had a love for her craft. She knew Swift and Minaj were posers. Nice interview.

Taylor Swift? Beautiful gowns. LOL

r340, Never disrespect Queen Bey again bitch. NEVER.

I like some of her music and she could really belt out a song but I didn't find her that likable.

[quote]Why can't we have popular singers who are actually talented anymore? Why are they all a bunch of Autotuned idiots these days?

In all fairness I think the music industry has always pushed gimmicks and the right look or the right "energy" over the ability to actually sing. Before autotune, there were many singers who could not sing or had passable voices who had long and lucrative careers. But every once in awhile an "Aretha", with a true gift, slips through and changes things at least for a moment, but then the music industry just goes back to looking for something manufactured.

WOW. Colbert closed his show with Aretha's complete Kennedy Center performance of Natural Woman. #Respect

R397 Not likable? Then perhaps you should vote for Trump lol. Same shit was said about Hillary, and look where we're at. You don't have to like her; she not coming to live in your house! Appreciate Aretha's contribution to America. African Americans are amongst the most American of us all. And she fought for a place at the table for her ppl. They've been here for 400 years. Way b4 Germans, Italians, Irish, Jews, Mexicans and many others, blacks were here in America. And I loved her fierceness.

Love this

In the first 3 minutes:

O: bla bla weight loss bla bla Queen: It´s not easy AND I´M SURE YOU KNOW.

O: blabla diana ross bla bla you grew up in the same neighbourhood? Queen: Yeeaah and be careful don´t touch me up top here.

O:...kkkay

Queen. AALLRIGTH!

[Quote]Yeeaah and be careful don´t touch me up top here.

Lol, r402. I had to look up what Aretha meant by that statement! Diana touching Li'l Kim's titty made all the rounds back then. I guess Aretha was like "girl, don't EVEN touch mine!"

^To be fair, it wasn't like Di was feeling her up. She did that as if to say "Girl, what the hell are you thinking?" I saw it when it happened on tv years ago. She was being motherly to Kim.

Ha! As Aretha, Patti, and Gladys were about to sing Happy Birthday to Oprah, Aretha walked straight up to remind Oprah to mention that her best hits CD was about to come out! Patti and Gladys were like "can you believe this bitch?" and Aretha was like "you had better!"

[quote]^To be fair, it wasn't like Di was feeling her up. She did that as if to say "Girl, what the hell are you thinking?" I saw it when it happened on tv years ago. She was being motherly to Kim.

Lil Kim didn’t seem to mind.

Don Lemon is such a Mary!

Would someone care to cut and paste Wesley Morris' New York Times article on Aretha? I'm out of free articles for the month.

An Appraisal Aretha Franklin Had Power. Did We Truly Respect It?

Officially, “Respect” is a relationship song. That’s how Otis Redding wrote it. But love wasn’t what Aretha Franklin was interested in. The opening line is “What you want, baby, I got it.” But her “what” is a punch in the face. So Ms. Franklin’s rearrangement was about power. She had the right to be respected — by some dude, perhaps by her country. Just a little bit. What did love have to do with that?

Depending on the house you grew up in and how old you are, “Respect” is probably a song you learned early. The spelling lesson toward the end helps. So do the turret blasts of “sock it to me” that show up here and there. But, really, the reason you learn “Respect” is the way “Respect” is sung. Redding made it a burning plea. Ms. Franklin turned the plea into the most empowering popular recording ever made.

Ms. Franklin died on Thursday, at 76, which means “Respect” is going to be an even more prominent part of your life than usual. The next time you hear it, notice what you do with your hands. They’re going to point — at a person, a car or a carrot. They’ll rest on your hips. Your neck might roll. Your waist will do a thing. You’ll snarl. Odds are high that you’ll feel better than great. You’re guaranteed to feel indestructible.

Officially, “Respect” is a relationship song. That’s how Otis Redding wrote it. But love wasn’t what Aretha Franklin was interested in. The opening line is “What you want, baby, I got it.” But her “what” is a punch in the face. So Ms. Franklin’s rearrangement was about power. She had the right to be respected — by some dude, perhaps by her country. Just a little bit. What did love have to do with that?

Depending on the house you grew up in and how old you are, “Respect” is probably a song you learned early. The spelling lesson toward the end helps. So do the turret blasts of “sock it to me” that show up here and there. But, really, the reason you learn “Respect” is the way “Respect” is sung. Redding made it a burning plea. Ms. Franklin turned the plea into the most empowering popular recording ever made.

Ms. Franklin died on Thursday, at 76, which means “Respect” is going to be an even more prominent part of your life than usual. The next time you hear it, notice what you do with your hands. They’re going to point — at a person, a car or a carrot. They’ll rest on your hips. Your neck might roll. Your waist will do a thing. You’ll snarl. Odds are high that you’ll feel better than great. You’re guaranteed to feel indestructible.

Ms. Franklin’s respect lasts for two minutes and 28 seconds. That’s all — basically a round of boxing. Nothing that’s over so soon should give you that much strength. But that was Aretha Franklin: a quick trip to the emotional gym. Obviously, she was far more than that. We’re never going to have an artist with a career as long, absurdly bountiful, nourishing and constantly surprising as hers. We’re unlikely to see another superstar as abundantly steeped in real self-confidence — at so many different stages of life, in as many musical genres.

That self-confidence wasn’t evident only in the purses and perms and headdresses and floor-length furs; the buckets and buckets of great recordings; the famous demand that she always be paid before a show, in cash; or the Queen of Soul business — the stuff that keeps her monotonously synonymous with “diva.” It was there in whatever kept her from stopping and continuing to knock us dead. To paraphrase one of Ms. Franklin’s many (many) musical progeny: She slayed. “Respect” became an anthem for us, because it seemed like an anthem for her.

The song owned the summer of 1967. It arrived amid what must have seemed like never-ending turmoil — race riots, political assassinations, the Vietnam draft. Muhammad Ali had been stripped of his championship title for refusing to serve in the war. So amid all this upheaval comes a singer from Detroit who’d been around most of the decade doing solid gospel R&B work. But there was something about this black woman’s asserting herself that seemed like a call to national arms. It wasn’t a polite song. It was hard. It was deliberate. It was sure. And that all came from Ms. Franklin — her rumbling, twanging, compartmentalized arrangement. It came, of course, from her singing.

Because lots of major pop stars now have great, big voices, maybe it’s easy to forget that most Americans had never heard anything quite as dependably great and shockingly big as Ms. Franklin’s. The reason we have watched “Showtime at the Apollo” or “American Idol” or “The Voice” is out of some desperate hope that somebody walks out there and sounds like Aretha. She established a standard for artistic vocal excellence, and it will outlast us all.

The song owned the summer of 1967. It arrived amid what must have seemed like never-ending turmoil — race riots, political assassinations, the Vietnam draft. Muhammad Ali had been stripped of his championship title for refusing to serve in the war. So amid all this upheaval comes a singer from Detroit who’d been around most of the decade doing solid gospel R&B work. But there was something about this black woman’s asserting herself that seemed like a call to national arms. It wasn’t a polite song. It was hard. It was deliberate. It was sure. And that all came from Ms. Franklin — her rumbling, twanging, compartmentalized arrangement. It came, of course, from her singing.

Because lots of major pop stars now have great, big voices, maybe it’s easy to forget that most Americans had never heard anything quite as dependably great and shockingly big as Ms. Franklin’s. The reason we have watched “Showtime at the Apollo” or “American Idol” or “The Voice” is out of some desperate hope that somebody walks out there and sounds like Aretha. She established a standard for artistic vocal excellence, and it will outlast us all.

There are so many things to love about this performance: its sexiness, its playfulness, its resolve, all the space in the arrangement for Ms. Franklin’s singing to stay low until it takes off high, the way that once she finally connects with Dr. Feelgood himself, the crowd audibly connects with the song or, really, just more deeply connects, since people had been shouting stuff like, “Sing it, Aretha!” between her pauses. You can feel in that moment the hold Ms. Franklin had over anybody who ever saw — or heard — her sing. She worked with bottomless reserves of swagger.

We tend not to think of Ms. Franklin that way — as an artist of bravado and nerve and daring, as a woman with swagger. We tend not to think of her this way even though nearly every song she sang brimmed over with it. (She sang about taking care of business — the old “tcb” — and, consequently, having her business taken care of, as much as she sang about respect.) Swagger we left to the Elvis Presleys and James Browns and Mick Jaggers. But “swagger” is the only word for, say, her approach to the music of other artists.

It didn’t matter whether it was a Negro spiritual or something by the Beatles. It was all wet clay to her. The Supremes, Frank Sinatra, Leonard Cohen, Adele, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, ? and the Mysterians, C & C Music Factory: She oversaw more gut renovations than a general contractor. In 1979, she took the occasion of B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone” to allow her backing singer to exclaim that she (and they) were “free at last.” Toward the end of her funked-up, very fun version of Sam & Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” from the 1981 album “Love All the Hurt Away,” she tossed in some “beep-beeps” and a couple of lines from “Little Jack Horner” because she knew she could make it work.

If good soul music is like good barbecue — slow cooked, falls off the bone — by the 1980s, she’d become a pit master, yelping and barking and wailing, but also talking in songs, sermonizing. You know the char and gristle, the bits of sugar and salt and fat on, say, a perfectly done slab of ribs? Most of this woman’s songs were blackened that way. Yet if Ms. Franklin told you she was going to take a classic R&B song and throw in a little nursery rhyme, you’d be nervous. Did 1986 really need a cover of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash?” Probably not. But she did it anyway — and robustly — and threw in a “hallelujah” while she was at it.

But, by that point, Ms. Franklin seemed well on her way to becoming somebody who might have relished the culture’s doubt. She loved music too much to be vestigial or nostalgic or relegated. She wanted — you know, what she wanted. And eventually respect was tricky to come by. I, at least, remember sitting on my bed watching the 1998 Grammys and hearing that she’d be filling in for Luciano Pavarotti and rolling my eyes. Ms. Franklin knew. She went out there, sang some Puccini, and left the nation in shock. The Queen of Opera, too?

Is it possible that despite the milestones and piles of Grammys (the now-defunct female R&B vocal performance category seemed invented just for her; she won the first eight), despite famously having been crowned the greatest singer of all time in a vast Rolling Stone survey, despite being Aretha Franklin, the Greatest was also rather underrated — as a piano player, as an arranger (who had a greater imagination when it came to coloring a song with backing singers), as an album artist? Despite the world’s bereavement over her death, despite her having been less a household name and more a spiritual resident of our actual home, despite giving us soundtracks for loneliness, for lovemaking, for joy, for church, cookouts and bars, despite the induction ceremonies, medals and honorary degrees, despite her having been the only Aretha most of us have ever heard of, is it possible that we’ve taken her for granted, that in failing to make her president, a saint or her own country, we still might not have paid her enough respect? Just a little bit.

Thanks, r409, you hot stud you.

I was lucky enough to be in the audience for Oprahs final show and witness Aretha Franklin sing "Amazing Grace." I can't claim to be an avid fan of Aretha but I knew I was witnessing something spectacular- a true legend perform. Have seen many concerts and stars but seeing Aretha Frankin might be at the top of my list. Rest in Peace.

Oh please, R314, Dionne is Muzak to Aretha's deep soul.

[quote]Don Lemon is such a Mary!

That gurl wants his own show - a la Anderson Cooper's flop, hence the pushing forward of his "personality" all the time.

[quote]Oh please, [R314], Dionne is Muzak to Aretha's deep soul.

Hence her greater appeal to the gays.

Some of the current crop can carry on Aretha's legacy, though. I'd have loved to hear what she might have done with this song.

R412 i´m into copy & paste, so my pleasure.

btw, yesterday even pornhub paid respect to ReRe in their logo. has that ever happened before?

R417

You´re cute, but WHAT are you doing in MY memorial thread,pussyboy?

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SHe was good. She died. Now let’s move on. Okay?

Otis Redding, the original writer and singer, states at the beginning before the song "that a girl took away from me." I like his version (and looks) better.

gurl r421 please - she's only been dead a day - feel free to move on yourself.

r423 You beat me to it.

No-accounts are so tiresome.

I'm stilllllll dead!

Let me be!

Still dead, Miss R421

And you're still cunteeeeeee!

[quote]To listen to Aretha Franklin now is to hear everything—everything that came before her, each strain of American blues and jazz and gospel and soul, all the musical traditions people leaned on to stay alive, and everything that exists now, all the singers she gave license to, everyone she taught. Her death is in all of us, as her songs are in all of us. She is as immortal as can be.

For r269's Information,

"Crocodile Rock" is roots rock -- '50s R & B and ONE novelty -- not something that characterizes the body of Elton John's work.

"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is disco.

"Bad Blood" is Neil Sedaka, singing a song written by Neil Sedaka and Phil Cody. John only did the backup vocals ONCE. It's not Bubblegum, either. It's standard rock. Bubblegum doesn't say words like "bitch" or sing about hating women.

Bubblegum is for flattering women. It's more innocent and it came before Elton John's heyday. Bubblegum is square and toothless compared to Elton John.

Most of John's music is steeped in the blues and standard rock -- especially in the '70s.

This is Bubblegum:

r276 = Just another honky, racist Republican.

I love the story, she was on Park Avenue in NYC and she saw two lovers parting and heard the man say "I love you...call me when you get there."

so she went home and wrote this

R414 Deep soul don’t sell. Not everyone is into soul. Whereas Dionne......

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That fat old broad beat the taxman for decades and ended up with a 60 million estate.

[quote]Most of John's music is steeped in the blues and standard rock -- especially in the '70s. This is Bubblegum:

Aretha is Bubblegum.

R431 Sex with a minor was ok back then ?

She married a Pimp??

Gurl pleeeease.

[quote]That fat old broad beat the taxman for decades

Trump should have locked her up.

thread for Daily Fail's article

R434 No

[quite]Gurl pleeeease.

LOL.

I wonder if Aretha used to say "Gurl pleeeease."

[quote]thread for Daily Fail's article

It's so naff calling it the daily fail. grow the fuck up.

R440, don’t be such a fail.

The bitch stole both her 2 best songs, Respect and I say a little prayer.

[quote]It's so naff calling it the daily fail

When Daily Heil is more like it.

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[quote]When Daily Heil is more like it.

That article is 84 years old.

[quote]The bitch stole both her 2 best songs, Respect and I say a little prayer.

She made them respectable.

Come again, R430?

Dionne is a more ghetto version of this grifter.

She hadn't been on an aeroplane since 1982.

2 kids by 14. Then married a pimp who smacked her around.

A real “Natural Woman”.

And, to make note of bad ideas....

Does anyone else in the NYC area remember EyeWitness News, (Channel 7), and they did this thing of where celebrities would read the news? Like... whose idea was that??? Anyway, I distinctly remember Aretha Franklin doing this. LOL! Talk about BAD ideas!

This goes back to the Melba Tolliver, (I know... "who?"), days folks.

Democracy Now

R402, that video of Ms. Franklin on the Oprah show made me cringe. I could not get through more than a few minutes of it.

Really? Oprah asking Aretha what her ideal weight is? I was surprised Aretha didn't smack O.

R453 here again. I caught Oprah looking at her "cheat sheet" cards.

I have always thought Oprah was terribly overrated.

I thought Oprah seemed intimidated. I admit, I knew very little about Aretha except who she was and she could sing. But even in that interview I got a sense of her proud self assurance and her intelligence. When I saw her sit down at the piano and play so fluidly in the Kennedy Centre, I was amazed. She was an incredible talent and influential figure. Respect to her. Bless her.

r455, she was a piano prodigy as a child; the lady was full of hidden surprises.

May she R.I.P.

[quote]she was a piano prodigy as a child;

She was a sexual prodigy as well. Two illegitimate children by the ripe old age of 14.

Underage sex was legal then ?

Aretha Franklin's Best Duets: From George Michael to Mariah Carey

Watch Tim McGraw, Faith Hill Cover Aretha Franklin, George Michael Duet in Concert

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Damn! Aren’t we over this has-been yet? FFS!

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If only it could've been you instead, R462.

[quote]but could have made more if her fear of flying hadn't stopped her performing abroad

Nobody abroad wanted to hear this wailing sow.

Actually nobody here wants to hear your obnoxious, ignorant twaddle, R465.

[quote]Aretha Franklin's net worth estimated at $80million: Soul legend demanded payment in CASH before shows and kept her purse on stage, but could have made more if her fear of flying hadn't stopped her performing abroad

I wonder what's in her safe deposit box.

Paul Gambaccini celebrates the career and music of Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul. From her earliest recording aged 14 through to her performance at Barack Obama's inauguration, Gambo tracks the biggest moments of her 60 years in the business and plays his pick of her many hits.

Here's the dilemma: other than a choir, who the hell dares sing at Aretha Franklin's funeral?

[quote]other than a choir, who the hell dares sing at Aretha Franklin's funeral?

A thirsty robotic bitch like Beyoncé.

[quote]other than a choir, who the hell dares sing at Aretha Franklin's funeral?

Adelephant

Fantasia, JHUD, Stevie Wonder, Yolanda Adams, John Legend, Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson

Fantasia and JHUD most definitely. Faith Evans would be nice addition as well.

"Over the next ten years all the stars of the 60s are going to "pass" - get used to it."

Bullshit, r359--all of them? Streisand's mother was in her 90s when she died, and Babs takes VERY good care of herself. And Ringo's in great shape. Mick Jagger...I can see of all these folks going well into their 90s and maybe beyond. I'm sure there a a few more who will make into their 90s. And if you need any more proof of longevity in show biz, have you heard of Dame Olivia De Havilland?

Oh, do fuck off, r465, you wide-open gash.

RIP, Queen.

She really was the LAST of the superstars that had seen - and been a catalyst of - the scope of 20th century music. She was immersed in history - for those that think old school is 80s....rock and roll existed because it emerged from gospel and blues, and later soul/R&B. And Aretha was a genius of all of the above.

She performed for nearly 60 years (!) and was on the charts for 40. Her work is instantly recognizable, her influences run far, deep and wide. Her piano playing skills were woefully underrated. She had the Garland-esque ability to hear a song once and perform it. She heard Pavarotti's arrangement for Nessun Dorma once on a cassette when she was tapped to fill in for him at the Grammys - and then went out and DID that bitch with an orchestra.

STAND UP AND PAY PROPER HOMAGE, BITCHES. You will NOT know this kind of talent, raw emotional ability, or this voice again in your lifetimes.

r432 is in love with the taxman!

[quote]She really was the LAST of the superstars

EXCUSE ME????

^Looks like Billie Burke without the crown.

Tacky bitch.

Chaka Khan can outbelt Aretha

A fruit fly could outbelt your intellect, r481.

R482 You are so ignorant

That's quite a comeback, r483. You're doing your idol Chaka no favors, ding-a-ling.

Why did Aretha smoke?a

R484 At least my idol still alive and kicking .

R485 not easy to give up ?

r486, Babs is very much alive and kicking. Chaka had a very bad cocaine habit so don't act like Ms Chaka is any great shakes in the longevity department, given her past.

[quote]Because lots of major pop stars now have great, big voices

Who dat?

R488 Cocaine don’t kill

Listen to r490. He know.

[quote]"Over the next ten years all the stars of the 60s are going to "pass" - get used to it." Bullshit, [R359]--all of them? Streisand's mother was in her 90s when she died, and Babs takes VERY good care of herself. And Ringo's in great shape. Mick Jagger...I can see of all these folks going well into their 90s and maybe beyond. I'm sure there a a few more who will make into their 90s. And if you need any more proof of longevity in show biz, have you heard of Dame Olivia De Havilland?

OK - MOST of the stars of the '60s are going to die over the next ten years. Feel better now?

[quote]And if you need any more proof of longevity in show biz, have you heard of Dame Olivia De Havilland?

She's freaky.

Grow up and face reality.

[quote]Bullshit, [R359]--all of them? Streisand's mother was in her 90s when she died, and Babs takes VERY good care of herself. And Ringo's in great shape. Mick Jagger...I can see of all these folks going well into their 90s and maybe beyond.

Psychic Mary is with us.

Her dad fathered a child with a 12 year old girl while he was married to Aretha's mother.

I can understand why Aretha was such a secretive person, there was probably a lot of dark stuff going on in her family that I am sure she wouldn't want to come out.

R479 You made a joke but I meant what I said. Aretha's career started in the late 50s when she was learning gospel from Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward and was at the birth of rock and roll with many of her contemporaries.

She and her sisters gave Smokey Robinson tips and pointers on how to perform. Aretha didn't invent rock, but she was one of the first to walk down that trail as it became what it was, and her ability to mix genres helped define it.

She precedes - and eclipses - the likes of Miss Ross.

"Grow up and face reality."

The reality is that people live longer than they used to, r492, you dumb twat.

And r493, I wasn't stating facts, cunty.

^Aretha had 18 Grammys to her credit, no way Diana Ross could ever touch that. However, Diana Ross had 18 Billboard number one hits, and sorry to say that no way Aretha Franklin could touch THAT!

^Of the two, Aretha is the better artist and everyone including Miss Ross knows it.

Aretha is more soul than pop. Pop sells more

Aretha had tremendous respect for Diana and vice versa.

Aretha attended the Kennedy Center Honors the year Diana was inducted and was among the crowd giving her a standing ovation.

Think she would have done that for Gladys or Patti?

Like the song says "Ain't No Way!

Aretha attended many KCH ceremonies

Franklin could go way over the top even beyond Diana territory.

She wasn't as mouthy as most black women.

^ That sounds perilously close to a real DJT tweet.

[quote]The reality is that people live longer than they used to, [R492], you dumb twat.

Using Olivia De Havilland as an example.

You need to be careful who you call a dumb twat, you moron.

Don't bother responding to her R506 - she's retarded and has a foul mouth to boot.

WOWEE!

Yes. Yes. YES!!!!

Obviously r506 doesn't understand a point being made about the potential for human longevity--hence the De Havilland mention. Meanwhile, r508 clutches her pearls and speaks of a "foul mouth." MARY!

r510, that's embarrassing. I love Aretha but a whipped black slave bending to her? It really should be the other way around. I know it's just a cartoon but it got it wrong. Aretha did not live the life of a slave. The whipped slave did.

^r509, not r510

[quote]I love Aretha but a whipped black slave bending to her? It really should be the other way around. I know it's just a cartoon but it got it wrong. Aretha did not live the life of a slave.

Mary McStupid is back.

Well done.

[quote][R510], that's embarrassing. I love Aretha but a whipped black slave bending to her? It really should be the other way around. I know it's just a cartoon but it got it wrong. Aretha did not live the life of a slave. The whipped slave did.

MMPH! I perceived it as the slave acknowledging her work in the Black Civil Rights movement.

Why would a slave acknowledge her, r515? Wouldn't it be the other way around? Apparently an idiot like r513 is incapable of understanding the wrongheadness of the cartoon but I can't help him.

In my opinion, it would be the acknowledgement of her willingness to grasp the baton of freedom and Black Civil Rights and run her lap of the race for the cause. Not everyone did.

Cartoons, like all op ed, are meant to prompt discussion and sometimes debate.

Yes, r281.

Patti LaBelle weighed in at 438 pounds.

r280 + r281.

Because love means never admitting that someone makes mistakes.

Sounds like the people who won't allow anyone to bring up the fact that Michael Jackson was a hobo-beating, child-molesting, animal torturing, pig-filthy lunatic.

I can Keep On with the Force and still admit somebody's nasty side. That you people think Franklin's shit didn't stink and nobody loved her if they criticized just makes you fascist.

The pundits @ r452 talk about Aretha Franklin's "need to control the narrative."

But let me tell you, hiding cancer for 7 years seems pathetic and harmful to me.

Maybe she wanted to appear indestructible. Maybe she didn't want others to worry about her. But denying something this important was a VERY OLD-SCHOOL, SHOW BUSINESS MOVE.

It undermines her credibility and authority when everyone can clearly see she's falling apart. It makes people worry about her MORE.

And honestly, celebrities who are open about their diseases to the public help the public cope with the same problems.

So I don't sympathize with her pretending to be healthy and perfect. She should have kept it real.

First of all, r521, she never pretended to be the picture of health, obviously. Second, she owed no one anything regarding her personal life and she certainly didn't owe the public any revelations on having a disease that was no doubt to her depressing, terrifying and debilitating. You seem to subscribe to the belief that celebrities are morally obligated to share everything about themselves to "help" others. The truth is that maintaining her privacy in no way undermined her credibility or authority as an artist. You're a fool.

It wasn't enough that Aretha Franklin was one of the greatest singers in the world and that she shared this gift for over 6 decades with the world.

r521 also feels Franklin should have helped "the public cope" with whatever else was wrong with them.

What have YOU done, r521 that was in any way on the level of Franklin?

"Get real"? I'd say you should take your own advice.

R 521

So she skipped the brave inspirational ribbon-wearing bookselling celeb segment on own.

big deal

Barackdubs

r525 I already had an idea what this was about. But Michelle singing backup? I did not expect that!

Tbh I prefer Chaka Khan

Been on every channel for days. I never liked her or any of that noisy music straight from the jungle. Very uppity attitude also. I loved Barbra Streisand up until the ‘70s, then she became very tasteless.

R528 slow news week

She was extremely perceptive and very adept at adapting to the times, without compromising her vocal integrity. Here is the extended remix of "Pride, Deeper Love," which was adopted as a gay anthem.

R530 But she’s not a gay icon

Says you, r531.

President Obama's tweet-

R532 You call ? Bitch !

tRump's tweet-

The difference between Obama's tweet and Rump's tweet is stark. Rump writes like a fourth grader.

Call ME, you bitch. The moment you get there. Will you do that for me?

"“Nobody embodies more fully the connection between the African-American spiritual, the blues, R. & B., rock and roll — the way that hardship and sorrow were transformed into something full of beauty and vitality and hope. American history wells up when Aretha sings. That’s why, when she sits down at a piano and sings ‘A Natural Woman,’ she can move me to tears — the same way that Ray Charles’s version of ‘America the Beautiful’ will always be in my view the most patriotic piece of music ever performed — because it captures the fullness of the American experience, the view from the bottom as well as the top, the good and the bad, and the possibility of synthesis, reconciliation, transcendence.”--Barack Obama

There was a good reason, then, why Obama wanted Franklin to sing “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” at his inauguration in 2009, a watershed moment for the prevalence of hope in America, and a shining triumph for the determination of the African-American community. Her voice rang louder and longer than any of her contemporaries, representing both the struggle and the “beauty and vitality and hope” it can yield.

Whatever, r534.

Know what I like? I REALLY like the way Aretha brought her purse onto the stage and set it aside when it was time to perform. It's funny to me - like she just showed up to sing her song or two and she's heading right out the back door when she's through. I also read that she demanded to be paid IN CASH right before she took the stage, so there ya go.....

R537 What kind of diva didn’t even get a close up shot in clip ?

R541, that is truly one of my favorite images of Miss Ross and the one below, The one below is because I've always LOVED that outfit. Even to this very day!

I hate to say this but Aretha has an ‘ugly’ non seductive voice. She couldn’t make a song sexy.

R542 Great eyes

RIP DIVAS

And, they ALL wanted to be Miss Ross--even Aretha at times. She did have a lot of respect for Ross's career but mostly she was very proud of her. In this clip it's a beautiful gown that Miss Franklin wears. She DEFINITELY brought this performance in!

FYI: The strong high soprano voice that you hear in the background IS Cissy Houston's. It's because of her high and strong soprano voice why pretty much everyone wanted her as a background singer. Luther Vandross always demanded that Cissy background for him on many of his albums.

The non-secular entertainer whom Aretha most admired was Judy Garland. She was a HUGE Judy fan and was reportedly devastated when Garland died.

Stevie Wonder will definitely be there and so will Smokey. I hope Gladys and Alicia Keyes are there but Alicia shouldn't sing. Just play the piano. Mariah will try to insinuate herself into the mix, but I hope she is not a performer. There will be a substantial representation for the gospel world. Winans, maybe even Mavis Staples. Remember: Aretha's funeral is going to be a spiritual, church service. So there will be prayers, eulogies and tributes and a lot of singing of the Gospel kind because that is essentially who she was. Her family said they were going to be putting together a memorial musical tribute to her soon but the funeral will not be like that.

^ All of this is from Funky Dineva's funeral and repast video R548. Almost word for word.

from the introtext:

About Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin said : " I appreciate Diana as hard worker. My son Clarence was a huge Diana Ross fan. He had so many pictures of her in his room, his walls were covered. But then he started plastering Diana on the ceiling, I was amused but finally said : " Come on Clarence, this is ridiculous ". When I went to see " Lady Sings The Blues " , I was interested to see whether girlfriend could pull it off. My children and I also enjoyed " The Wiz "......".

Aretha liked Diana personally even if she didn't think Diana had the musical chops. But I've seen both in person, and Diana knows how to command a stage and entertain, so yeah, Aretha is right Diana works very hard. Even if she did criticize her they are "family." They all came up in Detroit at the same time. It was a magic time musically.

Aretha and Diana both recorded beautiful versions of this song. Very different, it's Diana's in the end but it's one of Aretha's best covers. She sings far behind the beat.....and then the glissando and the crescendo and the roar.

Diana sang it much more delicately and melodically with that pretty pure vocal shimmer that is HER hallmark.

r549 maybe he's posting here!

I hope the Clark Sisters sing at her service too. Vickie Winans, all the Winans. All the Detroit legends to give her a nice celebration

If he had tightened this up a bit it would be hilarious, still Dineva knows his stuff R553. All of it. I love him.

lmao r554

Aretha and Diana both did it their way, I always like that about them.

Cissy was the worst backup singer ever.

Cissy sang the backup part with all the high notes on Ain't No Way. Her contribution to that song was almost as important as Aretha's own.

Carolyn, Aretha's sister wrote Ain't No Way, and I thought she sang those high notes, not Cissy. I will defer to your knowledge, but that was always the story I heard.

It was Cissy, I can't stand her sanctimonious church attitude and I am sure she is a mean bitch, but it would be hypocritical to not acknowledge her extraordinary voice. That woman had highs and lows that were out of this world.

The status of Sydney Pollack's "Amazing Grace" documentary that Aretha kept on blocking the release of:

Aretha was inspired from somewhere else. I'm sure the inspiration came from the mother of rock n roll.

This might have been posted before. Vocally Aretha's ending to this song in this video is one for the ages, but there is this moment on her face that said, "what the fuck is this kid doing here?" followed by a scene of her soaring voice, her hand raised and her embrace of the boy. Fucking amazing.

R563 It was not a good rendition of that song.

Aretha Franklin on Whitney Houston, George Michael & More

I read she was paranoid recording her duet with the upstart Whitney that she insisted on doing many takes.

R566 where did u read that?!

Let's see you do it, R564.

This is my favorite performance of Nessun Dorma by Aretha. Because it is in her own key the whole piece is beautiful and her adlibs are her own. Pavarotti's version was in a lower key with his pacing and signature insane finish, so she was able to attempt to sing even above the final notes. Here she is at the top of her range and she holds back a bit on the final notes, not wanting to scream. She feels the emotion of the song. Both versions are jaw dropping, if not OPERA. She was grandly Puccini and soulful.

Oh please! She wasn’t meant to sing opera. Stick with soul Re

R567 I’ll post if I can find it. But that was a shitty duet sing.

sing=song

All of R570s post are hostile or mean about Aretha. Kween doesn't know what he's talking about. Go back to your Tori Amos threads.

R573 You are obviously not an opera buff

I does hit you that music has lost its most celebrated icon. Listening to an interview with Smokey this morning and I became quite emotional.

And no, I am neither black nor american.

I guess she really did love the aria Nessun Dorma.

Probably the last film footage of her. March 17, 2018

Patti slaying Ain't no Way and Aretha nodding off, pissed ha. Look for sweet Tina Turner at the end. Aretha will have the homecoming of homecomings. She deserves it too.

Aretha Franklin was haunted, but when she sang, it was we who shivered

4 Session Musicians Share Their Memories of Working With Aretha Franklin

The day Aretha Franklin found her sound – and a bunch of men nearly killed it

r560 One could, I suppose, use this video to argue both Cissy Houston's extraordinary voice and churchy sanctimoniousness. The sitting down and fanning herself is really all a bit too much.

Aretha did right by Nessun Dorma singing it not as opera, but in her own style. It's unfortunate that listeners choose to praise it as a worthy substitute for Pavarotti's. It wasn't and she didn't mean it to be.

The worst part of her Grammy Nessun Dorma was Celine Dion's reaction. Bitch needed to be smacked hard.

The Freeway of Love!

I don't know how Aretha grew to be articulate and the complex thinker she was given that she had so little formal education.

And where did she get the grounded personality? No drunk driving like Miss Ross, no bankruptcy like Miss Warwick, no drug- laced national interviews like Nippy and other great singers.

Her daddy was a celebrity leader of the black community in Detroit, a pastor with a church of 10,000. To the world she was a celebrity, but to her own community she was the lesser child of a great father.

When was Aretha diagnosed? Around 2011? That is amazing that she lived this long- nearly unheard of

I collected Aretha's albums until pretty much the end, but Who's Zoomin' Who is probably her last great one. Thanks, r583.

Blink (so to speak) and you'll miss it. Here's Aretha not just singing but BREATHING circles around every other female singer. Listen for the line "Come here and let me breathe you in."

[quote]And where did she get the grounded personality? No drunk driving like Miss Ross, no bankruptcy like Miss Warwick, no drug- laced national interviews like Nippy and other great singers.

Uhm.... I don't think you want to go there. She's had her issues too;

-Pregnant at 11 or 12. And then, pregnant again at 14

-She's had her alcohol issues too

-She's been sued for unpaid bills

On and on

Aretha was self taught to a large degree, and Aretha always sought out smart people. She was a very curious, very intelligent person who always listened an observed very closely and she asked questions. You can see it if you watch and observe her closely in all her interviews. She sort of has this habit of watching people. In the Black community, the old folks called it "mother wit." It was the innate basic intelligence anyone without a lot of formal education might have.

I mean, look at her musicianship. She was never formally trained vocally or instrumentally, and yet she understood and really knew music, structurally, and was herself a musician. She would do naturally, what a trained musician had to learn to do. And yet, I learned this past week that in the 90's she enrolled at Julliard for some special sessions.

I believe as she became more and more famous, and especially during the prime years with the Civil Rights movement, she was very self conscious about what she did not know and she absorbed and learned whenever she could. Her father was a very intelligent man, and the people she was exposed to through him were very smart people. She would have been raised to have impeccable manners, and to listen and be observant. And if you listen to her in interviews she was very well spoken. On stage she was earthy and natural but she was well spoken, never coarse. Aretha held her own with anyone she encountered. She was very aware.

In fact, if you look back at those times, back in the 50's, 60's, 70's, most working class people Black or White, who had no formal education, worked very hard to be well spoken, and they read and were open to learning. They also carried themselves with a lot of dignity, no clownish behavior and acting out. So in a way she was a product of her home environment but also her times. She seems unique to us, but my father who worked in a factory, and had to fight to graduate high school, read poetry and literary classics to us every night.

Watching the Oprah interview her self possession really surprised me. That was a woman who was intelligent - more than just smart - and in command.

Oh, dear r589 you're going to blame a little girl for falling pregnant.

Aretha never appeared intoxicated in interviews. Never. And the Saks bill was about the coat and the story is funny as hell

Still, Aretha was grounded compared to many other great singers of her time.

R590. Yes, Aretha's family members must have given her a strong sense of self and loyalty to the tribe.

Why would any singer smoke? Doesn't it ruin their voice?

It was a different time, R593. What is known now wasn't known then. But, singers do smoke with a purpose too. Dionne Warwick reportedly smokes (not only because she is addicted) because it gave her a heavier voice

R590. I have never been an Aretha fan. Just not my cup of tea. The little I have watched I assumed she was crass and an egotist. Your post was wonderful from start to finish.

I started watching videos of interviews with her this morning and you NAILED it. She is extremely insightful, well spoken, and engaged. 1st video I watched was with WENDY WILLIAMS from 2011 or 2012! And I was pleasantly surprised and watched more and more.

Interesting note, and pure gossip. In Wendy's interview she she mentioned how Aretha was Whitney's godmother, which Aretha went along with. Not long ago (after Whitney's death), she read Ms. Dionne to filth for saying that she was Whitney's godmother, as she was nothing of the sort.

Miss Franklin left lessons for us all. What I have come to admire about her is that whatever she wanted to do she did it. She wanted to be a ballerina. Besides taking ballet classes, there is some video clip of her performing ballet at Clive Davis' birthday party in a tutu. She wanted to sing opera and play classical piano. She did that. She wanted to carry the Olympic torch. She did that. The lesson? If you dream it then do it. There is a way to make it happen.

Many have said that she was always curious and it may have been that curiosity that allowed her to live as long as she did. Her sisters died much younger from cancer. She loved life and she pretty much lived her life--even with though she had problems like the rest of us.

I cringed through the 60 Minutes interview during which Ed Bradly made a fool of himself attempting to get Aretha to talk about sex. She shut him down with few words and without humiliating him Its a lesson in letting the other guy hang himself with his own words

R233 Someone tweeted something along along the lines of, "Please God, may the contents of Aretha's final posthumous fued-fax to Miss Warwick be revealed!"

But she and Ed were friends and I loved seeing them in her kitchen when he was asking her about Sam Cooke. She clearly had a huge crush on Sam. She talked about Sam with Terry Gross in the Fresh Air interview they did years ago. To hear my Mama talk Sam Cooke was every woman's dream. Women LOVED him. And he loved them. he got shot at a motel where he was laying up with somebody's woman. As I heard tell.

On the Opera thing. I know that Jackie Wilson, the soul singer (Lonely Tear Drops) had an operatically trained voice. Brilliant voice. Another one who died young. Drugs. You can be rich and famous but if you're Black in America it takes a toll.

Healthwise it certainly does. The stress the anxiety, the daily uncertainties, the constant feelings that you are not legitimate, that you're an outsider , etc. The emotional toll from having to pick your battles and let the rest slide. I think it is very hard for Non Black people to ever fully appreciate the costs exacted by our society. And the musicians and artists we revere, felt it too.

You can't always see the damage. It's something that can eat you up from the inside out. And as the poet Sterling Brown said, " the strong men just keep coming." He could have said Women too. Because Aretha's strength sustained her as much as her faith did. So much of what she credited God for, she should have credited herself.

Did Aretha really believe in the Jesus biz,, the afterlife and all that BS? I know she was indoctrinated from a young age, but did she genuinely believe it? She seemed too intelligent for this

R593 - Singing is all in the breathing. One must be in natural possession of vocal/musical ability, of course, but if you've got that then it all comes down to breathing. There is actually a phenomenon which occurs for singers who have achieved a state of optimal breathing. They become as a player piano - as if they're being played by some unseen force. It's freaky AND it's TRUE! No note too high or low - you reach for it and you attain it effortlessly - no challenge to sustain it either. It's MAGIC! Well, almost. If tennis is all in the elbow or swing and golf is all in the wrist, then singing is ALL in the breathing. You've heard of "runners high?" Well, what I'm attempting to describe could rightly be referred to as "singer's high." FACT! No singer should EVER smoke cigarettes habitually. It greatly impairs their ability to achieve this state. That said, there are exceptions to the rule - Sarah Vaughan for one.