The Queen of Soul

Aretha Franklin died 41 years to the day after Elvis Presley died. If Elvis can arguably be called the most significant artist in pop music of the last half of the last century (you could certainly say Chuck Berry was) Franklin was undoubtedly the most significant woman, crossing genres and pushing gospel-flavored R&B further into the mainstream.

Consider the numbers: she charted 112 singles, 77 of them in top 100, and 17 top ten. She won 20 Grammys, including eight in a row for best R&B album. She sold more than 75 million records, and was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

As a kid growing up in the lily-white suburbs, I knew who she was but didn't have any of her records. My collection was ethnocentric, to say the least, as the only black artist I bought was Stevie Wonder. But I've appreciated her more throughout the years, and since her death have been listening to a tribute channel on Sirius/XM. I've heard some covers that are mind-bending, such as a version of The Band's "The Weight" and The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," in which she takes the song and makes them her own.

She also did that with two of her most signature songs. "Respect" was written by Otis Redding, and he performed it as a man pleading with his woman to treat him right. Franklin took the song, adding a spelling lesson, some "sock it to mes," and flipped it upside-down into a feminist anthem. It is among the greatest recordings of the '60s or any decade for that matter. "(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman" was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin (it would be their last hit single as a duo) that was commissioned by Jerry Wexler. King had a version on her Tapestry album, but Franklin turns into a something else entirely, sung from the tips of her toes, elegant as well as trumpeting. Of all of Aretha's live performances, the one she gave of the song at the Kennedy Center Honors for King is one of the greatest. She comes out, carrying her purse (she liked to be paid in cash), puts it on the table, and begins playing. King is so overwhelmed she seems close to having a heart attack. Franklin, midway through the song, stands and drops her fur coat to the floor, a signal of power, unashamed of her physique, and belts out the finale. President Obama had to wipe a tear away.

Other songs that are classics (at least the ones I know of) are "Think," another feminist anthem that was featured in her sole film role in The Blues Brothers, and "Chain of Fools." There's a lot more where that came from. She also made a memorable appearance at Obama's first inauguration, wearing a blue dress with a bow-shaped hat, which made more news than her singing. When Aretha was around, you knew it.

Less mentioned is her activism. She was not an openly militant protester, but did offer to post bail for Angela Davis, who had been jailed for murder, even against the advice of her father. Many have pointed out that in the civil rights movement, especially among groups like the Black Panthers, women were still treated like servants, so her being a spokeswoman for black women with songs like "Respect" was very important.

I don't think there are enough accolades in the world to bestow on Franklin and her legacy. It's a great loss for all people.