I never met Aretha Franklin. I never saw her perform, though I purchased tickets to shows she later canceled due to illness each time. It made me very angry at the time, but I had to let it go because it was Aretha.
There have been two artists who have been the soundtrack to my life from an early age: Aretha Franklin and Paul McCartney (who are the same age, which is interesting). They were there long before the bands I write about on this very blog frequently.
Aretha had no idea who I was, but she was my musical and spiritual fairy godmother. She had a way with words that no one else had.
Without Aretha’s influence on music, we would not have Adele, Amy Winehouse, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Annie Lennox, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill and a dozen others. Aretha sang like nobody else. Her style was influenced by Etta James and Dinah Washington and male singer, Sam Cooke. But she went a step beyond them. She WAS music. She took songs and turned them into feelings.
If you’re an appreciator or music, you can feel it. Aretha made you feel it and gave you a part of it.
She recorded breakup songs, love songs, self-esteem songs, and songs of inspiration and sheer empowerment. Not to mention her gospel album or the songs like “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me” with George Michael, a purely fun song.
Aretha received many honors in her lifetime, but it’s her songs and her voice that will live on. She was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the ranked the Rolling Stone number one singer of all time, awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Clinton, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the highest award a US citizen can receive — by President G.W. Bush in 2005. And an honoree from the Kennedy Center Honors, which is my favorite for the musical tributes. It’s all about the songs.
I will carry Aretha’s music in my heart always. I will remember the strong, pioneering woman she was. I know there will never be another musician like her because she paved the way for all female singers and there isn’t anything anyone can bring to the table that Aretha didn’t do first.
Like I said, I never met her. But I know her. And she knows me. That’s the power of music. I’ve been writing this post all week after hearing Aretha was in home hospice. She passed away this morning. Many people will not understand my love for her, but my good friends will. Quite a few have already messaged me about her. I am incredibly sad, but I still have her music and in that way she lives on. Thank you for everything, Aretha.
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