Respect is my favorite Aretha song.
Did you know all the musicians on the track were a bunch of country white boys from Muscle Shoals, AL?
She had so many good songs.
One that comes to mind her is her 1987 duet with George Michael “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me”.
Another duet is one she did with Michael McDonald around ‘94. It was called “Ever Changing Times”.
Or maybe even (help me out here-I may not have the title correct) “Think” which she sang in the “Blues Brothers” movie in 1980.
May “Queen Aretha” forever rest in peace in the Kingdom of our Lord & his beloved son, Jesus Christ. I believed her political leanings were completely wrong...but...I also believed that she may have been the best woman singer in the history of the world.
Her voice was magic, her voice was uplifting, her performance in the “Blues Bothers” movie was dynamic and her voice was penetrating at all times with either positive or pragmatic feeds.
Like a Frank Sinatra, like a Kate Smith, like a Tony Bennett, Like a Doris Day....we won’t witness to many gifts from God like Ms. Aretha Franklin. Sleep and rest well, my Queen of song!!!
Thanks so much for posting this. I was lost as to how to express myself over her death...how to honor her life. By simply dropping this post, you honored her on my behalf, and allowed me to express my grief.
P.S. I was about 18 when “Respect” hit the charts.
It’s this simple
Muscle Shoals>Memphis Stax(barely)>Motown
Chess is not comparable but damn worthy
Black music I grew up on and still listen to daily
PS ...there was some incest tween Muscle Shoals and Memphis
There’s a video of her on a German or British TV show back in the day, singing “Don’t Play That Song,” and accompanying herself on piano. I think that’s my favorite Aretha performance.
Operation Heartbreak--Aretha Franklin (1961)