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A SPECIAL HERO OF THE DAY!
Name: Aretha Franklin
Age: was 76
Occupation: The Queen of Soul
Last Seen: entertaining the angels
Awarded For: being quite possibly the greatest female rock musician... EVER
Age: was 76
Occupation: The Queen of Soul
Last Seen: entertaining the angels
Awarded For: being quite possibly the greatest female rock musician... EVER
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Today was just like any other day in the Motor City, but something was indeed different.
It seemed that everywhere you were, the music of Aretha Franklin was everywhere. Her music was playing out of homes, cars and and in front of the New Bethel Baptist Church where her father preached.
There were a few that cried, but a few that also celebrated and danced to classics like "Think", "Freeway of Love" and her signature, "Respect".
And that was what people were doing for her today: showing their respect for a woman whose music touched so many.
Born in Memphis, Franklin's family moved to Detroit when she was two when her father started preaching at New Bethel. However, her teen years where anything but sweet: her mother died when Aretha was ten and she had two children when she was 14 and 15. But there was one thing that kept her going: her sweet, soulful voice.
Aretha recorded her first album at 13 and at 18 signed a record deal with Columbia. Many falsely attach her to Motown, though Barry Gordy himself tried to get her signed to the label, but she declined. Her first several albums all had a jazz feel to them and they weren't big sellers. She then jumped to Atlantic and in 1967, she scored her first-ever #1 with a song with those seven letters: R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
She had hits all throughout the 60s and early 70s with the Carole King/Jerry Goffin-penned "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (later parodied by Gilda Radner's Emily Litella character as "You Make Me Feel Like a National Woman" on SNL), "Chain of Fools", "Baby I Love You" and several remakes such as "Spanish Harlem" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water". She even had crossover appeal, too, since even album rock stations like WPLJ in New York were playing her tunes, too (just skip to 13:52; otherwise check out the groovy pre-CGI cheesiness) played her songs.
However, her hits dried up in the mid-70s, but she relinquished herself thanks to her appearance in the 1980 classic "The Blues Brothers" (alongside another music great, Matt "Guitar" Murphy who died two months and a day ago at 88). She signed with Arista and by the middle of the decade, she was back on top again with 'Freeway', "Who's Zoomin' Who?" and her 1987 #1 duet with George Michael, "I Knew You Were Waiting".
She spent most of the next 30 years in Detroit and kept her life private. She was known for her health issues, like her on-again, off-again weight issues. But, what a life. She sold 75 million albums, won 18 Grammy Awards and performed in front of presidents and Popes. One of her last performances - as seen above - was her four minute, 30-second rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Whether you love this country or not, you can't help but to totally respect her styling of our National Anthem.
It was earlier this week that Franklin's family announced that she was on her death bed from pancreatic cancer, which she kept private most of the time. She was reportedly only 83 lbs., a far cry from the larger-than-life diva we all got to know and love. When news of her passing was announced at 10 a.m. this morning, it marked the end of the life that pushed mountains aside thanks to having a strong voice that could turn the Rock of Gibraltar into sand. She didn't allow a nearly-corrupt childhood destroy her image. She overcame it to become the Queen of Soul, and an inspiration for us all.
Long live the Queen.
---
Today was just like any other day in the Motor City, but something was indeed different.
It seemed that everywhere you were, the music of Aretha Franklin was everywhere. Her music was playing out of homes, cars and and in front of the New Bethel Baptist Church where her father preached.
There were a few that cried, but a few that also celebrated and danced to classics like "Think", "Freeway of Love" and her signature, "Respect".
And that was what people were doing for her today: showing their respect for a woman whose music touched so many.
Born in Memphis, Franklin's family moved to Detroit when she was two when her father started preaching at New Bethel. However, her teen years where anything but sweet: her mother died when Aretha was ten and she had two children when she was 14 and 15. But there was one thing that kept her going: her sweet, soulful voice.
Aretha recorded her first album at 13 and at 18 signed a record deal with Columbia. Many falsely attach her to Motown, though Barry Gordy himself tried to get her signed to the label, but she declined. Her first several albums all had a jazz feel to them and they weren't big sellers. She then jumped to Atlantic and in 1967, she scored her first-ever #1 with a song with those seven letters: R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
She had hits all throughout the 60s and early 70s with the Carole King/Jerry Goffin-penned "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (later parodied by Gilda Radner's Emily Litella character as "You Make Me Feel Like a National Woman" on SNL), "Chain of Fools", "Baby I Love You" and several remakes such as "Spanish Harlem" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water". She even had crossover appeal, too, since even album rock stations like WPLJ in New York were playing her tunes, too (just skip to 13:52; otherwise check out the groovy pre-CGI cheesiness) played her songs.
However, her hits dried up in the mid-70s, but she relinquished herself thanks to her appearance in the 1980 classic "The Blues Brothers" (alongside another music great, Matt "Guitar" Murphy who died two months and a day ago at 88). She signed with Arista and by the middle of the decade, she was back on top again with 'Freeway', "Who's Zoomin' Who?" and her 1987 #1 duet with George Michael, "I Knew You Were Waiting".
She spent most of the next 30 years in Detroit and kept her life private. She was known for her health issues, like her on-again, off-again weight issues. But, what a life. She sold 75 million albums, won 18 Grammy Awards and performed in front of presidents and Popes. One of her last performances - as seen above - was her four minute, 30-second rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Whether you love this country or not, you can't help but to totally respect her styling of our National Anthem.
It was earlier this week that Franklin's family announced that she was on her death bed from pancreatic cancer, which she kept private most of the time. She was reportedly only 83 lbs., a far cry from the larger-than-life diva we all got to know and love. When news of her passing was announced at 10 a.m. this morning, it marked the end of the life that pushed mountains aside thanks to having a strong voice that could turn the Rock of Gibraltar into sand. She didn't allow a nearly-corrupt childhood destroy her image. She overcame it to become the Queen of Soul, and an inspiration for us all.
Long live the Queen.
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Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
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