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Biography
Franklin is indubitably one of the most iconic musical figures of the twentieth century; she’s synonymous, quite frankly, with R&B, soul, jazz and gospel, and certainly nothing short of an American national treasure. Franklin has an overwhelming number of hugely impressive accolades to her name; she’s won no fewer than 18 Grammy Awards and has sold in excess of 75 million records. In 1987, she became the first woman ever to be inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her halcyon days can probably be traced to the late sixties, when she was a staple on the U.S. charts with a flurry of now legendary singles. Her version of Otis Redding’s “Respect” probably remains her signature song all these years later - especially in terms of its wider political significance, as it became a civil rights anthem - but it faces stiff competition from the likes of “I Say a Little Prayer”, “(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman” and “Baby I Love You”. In the early seventies, she chose to move into gospel recordings, with great success; her version of “Amazing Grace” might be the seminal take on that classic song.
Despite battling with health issues, the now-septuagenarian Franklin continues to tour and record - her most recent release was a take on Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”. A late career highlight came in 2009, when she sang at the inauguration of President Barack Obama; it was another extraordinary chapter in a frankly incredible career.
Live reviews
If James Brown was the Godfather of Soul then Aretha Franklin must be the Godmother.
I was able to see Aretha Franklin perform in the most unusual and profound setting, about fifteen blocks away in downtown Washington, D.C. at President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009. Though some people decided to make Aretha's magnificent over-sized hat the entire point of discussion of that performance, and true, Aretha Franklin has been known to make some show-stopping performance fashion choices throughout the years, but that was hardly the reason why that performance was so memorable.
It was Aretha's first time singing at an inauguration that was already historic in so many ways, and her rendition of My Country 'Tis of Thee was so beautifully natural, bold, and even heartwarming on that below freezing day in the nation's capital. Aretha is no stranger to a big stage, she had performed for Bill Clinton in the past, she sang at Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral, and continues to tour, and sell out all over the world to this day.
Aretha Franklin is truly an American treasure, and seeing her sing live can brighten up any room, theater, arena, church, or even inauguration. R-E-S-P-E-C-T Aretha Franklin, and see this one of a kind woman live in concert soon.
The concert was good..Although Aretha is older, she can still sing very well. there were some long breaks early on in the show, but she came back stronger than ever. I do wish she could have sang some more old favorites, but it was a good mix of songs.
linda-roeske
The Queen was in top form last nite, the show was excellent. Loved hearing the standards as well as the new material, I thoroughly enjoyed the slow dance she and her fiancé did on stage, was a very touching moment for all her fans. WHAT A NITE!
therese-roberts
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