There always will be Aretha Franklin.

With the greatest and most sincere respect, she lives through her music.

O

ne of my favorite collections “The Very Best of Aretha Franklin: The ‘70s” particularly “Angel” (…“Got to find me an Angel”) [irrelevantly her sister and I share Carolyn], “Border Song” (Holy Moses), “Bridge over Troubled Water,” and “Spanish Harlem” (of course “Respect” on any label though not on this one). The “Very Best” album 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1976 is a Inglot and Hersch remastering of the original recording produced by Wexler, Dowd, Mardin, Jones, Aretha Franklin and Curtis Mayfield.

S

he rose from a place where winds blow hot and humid off the Gulf of Mexico, a city situated on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, regional hub of tri-state Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. She stretched and bloomed from Motown (Detroit, Michigan and returned) to the Big Apple to the City of Angels. She soared on platforms and stages throughout North America (New York, Alabama, Los Angeles to name a very few); on top billboard charts all over the world; on J.V.B., Columbia, Atlantic, Arista, RCA labels; in sacred, soul, secular R&B, pop, gospel, and jazz genres. She is a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, a performer with originality and without peer in a career that spans more than six decades (1956-2018)—Aretha Louise Franklin.

I

n recognition of her musicianship, quality of craft, performance, humanity, she stacked up countless awards and honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom—that was a deeply emotional one!

There will never be another Aretha Franklin. And there always WILL be Aretha Louise Franklin whose sister is named Carolyn.

WELL DONE, Aretha Franklin!

Sources

Aretha Franklin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretha_Franklin

Memphis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Memphis,_Tennessee

Aretha Franklin at Willis Music https://willismusic.com/aretha-franklin/

Aretha Franklin https://www.facebook.com/arethafranklin/

White House “Citations for Recipients of the 2005 Presidential Medal of Freedom”

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary November 9, 2005

https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2005/11/20051109-10.html

White House “President Honors Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom The East Room” For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary November 9, 2005 https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2005/11/20051109-2.html

Insight Beyond Today’s News, CLB