Mr. Morris, you weren't around in 1967, please don't try to tell those of us who were which song 'owned' that summer.
People who really were around in 1967 noticed that the all young all internet politics staff of all the news outlets yesterday got no further into Aretha's repertoire than 'Respect' and 'Natural Woman'. That doesn't really work, and I (who would have said that 'Light My Fire' and 'Purple Haze' lit up that summer) would have felt better if we'd heard a bit more Aretha and a bit less philosophizing by young writers and talking heads.
9
Instead of “swagger” I think “class” is the word you want to aspire to.
6
As a child of a feminist mom, it seems a huge gaffe to not mention You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman. She was the voice of empowerment.
2
You betta werrk Wesley. What a fiercely tuned tribute! Thank you.
2
What do you mean, 'we' don't think of Aretha as having swagger, Mr. Morris? Maybe YOU don't, but I can't imagine why not. I think being the first woman in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame speaks for itself.
9
No, we did not.
Who is this "we?" Speak for yourself, Clyde. Aretha was mine. If you have guilt over not taking her seriously enough, that guilt is yours. Alone.
10
As a white kid from Wyoming, I spent a year in France as an exchange student. I was desperately homesick. Nothing made me feel happier or more American than listening to Aretha. I'm so sad she is gone. What an amazing woman. I'm not a religious person, but I hope God blesses her family.
8
A wonderful tribute to this incomparable artist.
3
Thank you for that fabulous essay-- worthy of the talent it salutes.
2
Great tribute for a great woman. She was under-appreciated certainly. It's human nature, I suppose, to fail to appreciate true greatness during a genius's lifetime. When he/she's gone is when all our "bells" ring. Miss Franklin, we love you. And Mr. Morris, you are a marvelous writer.
2
Thank you for this spot on tribute. Enormously fun to read.
6
Beautiful tribute to Aretha; her music has been in my ears and dancing hips for 51years.
4
I found your tribute to Aretha Franklin as beautiful and powerful as the woman we all loved and admired. Her voice and her approach to life have been part of my memories for more years than I realized until her passing yesterday. Each song took me to a place and time that were informed by her music and filled with all the experiences a young woman feels as she comes of age. And your insights into what made Aretha Aretha only underscored what an extraordinary talent she possessed and shared with us all.
6
Dear Mr. Morris,
First of all, I'd like to tell you how much I appreciate your article. Your skill with the English language is breathtaking, and your understanding of the subject matter is impressive, for lack of a better word. Well done!
You're right. I took Aretha for granted. I was a second-generation Italian girl, a junior in an all-white high school in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio when Respect hit the charts. Vietnam, The Beatles, Nixon, racism, the draft, feminism, abortion, hippies, demonstrations and Kent State were some of the issues we faced and discussed every day.
Aretha was just always there, in all of her wonderfulness. She didn't quit, she didn't waiver and she did NOT back down. She didn't have to be militant or use anger to express her views. As the political scene changed around us, her voice always reminded us to keep the faith, to be strong and hopeful and to carry on with the fight. For peace, and justice, and acceptance. For freaking RESPECT.
Her strength and beauty has been with us all of these years and I had forgotten what a huge influence she'd been during those turbulent years. Her voice was the ointment which soothed us during discouraging times, and the expressive spirit of strength and love which wouldn't let us quit—gently but forcibly urging us on and reminding us our work is never done.
God bless you Aretha. You will never die because we will carry you around in our
hearts forever. Thank you for everything.
Respectfully,
J. Fortner
21
By the way her best song in a long litany was not "Respect." It was "The House that Jack Built." Can anyone listen to how she opens that song without recognizing true greatness?
5
We called her our Queen and BB our King.
This is Respect.
4
You were a gift to all of us, black, white or otherwise. You were the sound of several generations. You will always be the queen! And my guess is that big choir up there just gained some real magic. Godspeed, Aretha! We love you!
9
I can certainly appreciate Ms. Franklin for her voice, her role( often unmentioned) in the civil rights movement and the meaning her songs had for more than one generation. As a culture what happens though when we lurch between idealizing or devaluing people. Calling Ms. Franklin the greatest female vocalist makes little sense when other singers have sung in other styles( Ella Fitzgerald comes to find) and in other genres. Isn’t it enough to call her wonderful and skip the simplistic urge to idealize so we are certain not to devalue. When will we learn that the antidote for devaluing people isn’t idealizing them but to value who they are and who they are not.
4
@Jonathan Lewis
Growing up in the 60's and 70's, if you were willing, you were exposed to a myriad number of different styles and forms of music from rock & roll, blues, jazz, standards, classical, opera, country etc. I listened back then (and still now) to Ella Fitzgerald, Bessie Smith, Billy Holiday, Barbra Streisand, Judy Collins, Laura Nyro, Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, etc. Realizing that labeling someone as "the greatest female vocalist" is rather silly and entirely subjective - still, a very good argument can be made that in her prime (and perhaps limiting the scope to English speaking countries), Aretha was the greatest overall female vocalist pure and simple.
1
Yes I loved the vocalists you have listed and they are the people I listen to today. My concern isn’t who we nominate as “ the best” , good people can differ as we do on what flavor ice cream is the best. I am more concerned about the idealization of anyone , especially in our celebrity culture. Ms. Franklin doesn’t need to be idealized in order to claim the credit she well deserves. Her death is just the latest example of how as a culture,we idealize someone in order to give them the realistic credit they deserve. That lurch from overvaluing to devaluing gets us in trouble again and again . It’s much harder to navigate who we are and who we are not. That tension of opposites is a task worth attempting.
6
That was a beautiful appraisal of a beautiful woman. There will never be an another one like Aretha! Forever and ever, you'll stay in my heart.
11
Ms. Franklin apparently had her life problems - as we all do - but from everything I've read and heard this week she never lost her moral compass. That is the ultimate tribute for any human being who reaches her level of stardom and influence.
I heard that James Brown told he to always get cash up front before she performed so she carried a BIG purse and demanded it. Before one performance there were only seconds before she was to go on and she was locked in her dressing room until they paid her. They did and she performed her usual fabulous concert. That takes guts. How can anyone in their right mind consider her "inferior"?
Stephen Colbert ran the footage of Aretha Franklin paying tribute to Carol King, who wrote "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", during the Kennedy Center Honors he hosted in 2015. Very moving. The link is below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dO1kGAXBO0
9
Beautifully written. I spent a lot of yesterday morning crying over the news of her death and went to bed listening to her Greatest Hits. Which brings me to "Ain't No Way." Oh my God. Listen to this thing. Written by her sister, with Miss Franklin explaining her anguish to the man who won't let her love him, and Cissy Houston's haunting background vocals. Listen to this thing.
15
I certainly did, she was unique: One of a kind. Will never see the likes of her again. Great loss. But no matter how good or unique one is we are all mortal. No one could belt it out like she did. Will definitely miss her.
3
I know you're speaking from your generation and I value your opinion. I was 18 when Aretha's version of Respect came out. It blew me sky-high along with all of my friends. No question who and what she was and remained. Queen. Slayed doesn't even come close.
15
Beautifully written tribute to Aretha!
3
Way too much puffery on t NYT for a real, complex human being. That’s how I recognized her through the decades, and I will not be put off by over-wrought memorials.
16
Mary Wells, Charlie and Inez Fox, and of course, J.B.
1
We all have a shelf life in this world but none in the next. Sing on Sister.
9
Lovely tribute. But we tend not to think of Ms. Franklin as a woman with swagger? Speak for yourself. You don't speak for me, in that regard.
19
@M
Amen!
3
Great tribute, but you left out MARY WELLS. Just sayin'.
1
What a wonderful writing and tribute. There is such a "punch" to this piece that echos the music of Aretha Franklin. "She had the right to be respected -- by some dude, perhaps by her country. Just a little bit." Yes!!
5
I've only ever heard her on records. And we will always have those. How great is that?
3
Beautifully written piece, Mr. Morris. And every word got an Amen from me.
4
I first heard Aretha when I was about 5 I guess. I grew up white in DC, soul city. She has never failed to rivet and electrify and make me feel that YES I can, live like a roman candle, feel everything, love, touch God,dance, sing, and be healed. AMEN.
3
"Respect" is so overplayed in movies and commercials that I actually find it difficult to listen to now. I think "Dr Feelgood" is Aretha's signature song, with "Ain't No Way" running a close second. Everyone I know bows down (sorry Beyonce) to the Queen of Soul. Maybe Wesley is speaking of Millennials, Gen X too, not paying enough respect to Aretha because classic soul and R&B are not their music.
10
@Lynn in DC I know what you mean about "Respect" being overplayed - it seems to have all but lost any kind of context today. It's never been my favorite Aretha Franklin song, and the temptation, when I hear it now, is to not really pay attention, because I've heard it so much. BUT, if I actually stop and really listen to it as it's playing - to all the details of the instrumental and vocal arrangement and all the nuances in Aretha's delivery - I can be transported back to 1967 and remember the way it sounded when it first came out. It really was, and is, a great record.
12
@John "Respect" will be over-played just like John Lennon's "Imagine" has been. These artists are so much more.
R.I.P. Aretha. I grew into adulthood with your sultry, edgy voice, huge heart and immense humanity. Keep singing!
8
Thanks for such a great tribute and a really fine piece of writing. Wonderful images really brought her to life.
10
Yes we did, and we do, and I am confident we always will ("RESPECT" that is). Wesley, I think's its your lack of understanding that this article explores... not ours.. sending you my very best, as well mourn and celebrate and wounded what in the world we will do without her. I met her when she broke from her family and joined us in the fight against AIDS. My heart it broken, and I know I am not alone.
10
How about the fact that singers are really NOT that important, except as ENTERTAINMENT. Now, think about the folks who saved YOUR child from polio, or saved you with medicines and surgeries that allow YOU to have a much longer life! PRAISE THEM, TOO!
5
@NrebOh my dear-- musicians and other artists
save your SOUL and that is a necessary component of LIFE. Even when you are ill your soul can heal you, but a well body can't always heal a broken soul.
15
good point, but THIS article is specifically about Aretha Franklin's influence.
2
@Nreb
This article is a tribute to a specific artist, a woman whose decades-long career influenced countless other artists and enriched millions of lives, and whose work, both public and private, supported the civil rights movement, AIDS action, and female and black empowerment.
For a piece on medical heroism, look elsewhere.
6
It was always a revelation to hear Aretha Franklin. The startling voice and the depth of her feeling and musicianship elevated everything, wherever she performed. Yesterday someone posted a clip of Aretha singing "Do Right Man" on the old Merv Griffin TV show. It was simply beautiful -- her shifts in tone and color, her commitment to the song, transformed a short performance on a bare stage into a unique, heart-stopping story. We're all fortunate to have had such a great and giving artist among us for so many years. "Emulated by many but matched by none..." is the way it was put in the Guardian.
7
I think it's a gross exaggeration to call her the best.
I think she was great.
I don't appreciate being told that she is the greatest as if I have to agree with that opinion and then condemned when I don't.
I preferred Leonard Cohen who is mentioned in this article.
As much as I thought he was the best I would never call him the best
as I know that is only a opinion and that many thought he was one of the worse as one of my friends thought and I understand how they could feel that way and I would never condemn them for having that opinion.
I feel condemned after reading this article and I don't like it.
7
Listening to NPR raving this morning I felt that the WORLD had gone NUTS!
2
@lucky
You do realize that defining one's 'greatness' is all subjective, don't you?
You're the only one who is condemning yourself.
3
@lucky No one's condemning you. I just feel that she's one of the very few who deserve the accolades.
Mr. Morris, just like Ms. Franklin, you surely can belt it out. What a tribute!
14
Ha! speak for yourself.. Know one I know ever took 'Retha for granted. With that voice full of soul, she sounded like a glorified trumpet that will always be one of a kind. The only Respect she didn't get was from many around her, definitely not from her audience and fans...
10
Aretha
No crawl, a crash into new found souls,
You sang, but more, a message bold.
Erasing fear, standing straight, taking a chance
Whether idea, ambition, respect, or romance.
Nothing will erase, even if gone, your no violence, peaceful army
Joined together, struggling as one, seeking anywhere harm may be.
Beauty re-sculptures its shape, erupting from wellspring tears,
Respite, happy moments falling on so many welcoming ears.
The gospel spirit bred from unrequited sweat, lived in your voice.
A grave can't dampen the forceful lilt, death concedes, it has no choice.
This is the Queen of Soul lying here, now holy ground, but above
Aretha's Queendom reigns forever, forebear's sweat soon requited love
4
Huh...I always saw the swagger...rather heard it. Her confidence as an Instrument was the swagger on steroids. Plus male swagger ala Jagger, Elvis, Tyler, etc is a different animal...compared to Aretha's...which is a different species altogether. Very few women singers have the innate confidence in their instrument, their voice and body acting as one, to swagger like Aretha. They may (poorly) mimic Aretha...but they rarely own it like Aretha. Not even a great voice like Whitney Houston had the swagger like Aretha. In fact, I see none others that come close to an apprenticeship to Aretha. (Being overtly sexual, doesnt count.)
Great piece, but the author should not speak for the rest of us. He doesnt understand what we long understood about Aretha.
10
@Boregard Let's not forget Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Bessie Smith, Big Mama Thornton, and any number of powerful women who sing in gospel choirs all over this country!
Simply the greatest of all time.
3
Much has been made of Aretha's purses -- always at her side or in her sight lines even while she was on stage -- and "the famous demand that she always be paid before a show, in cash."
To set the record straight, this was not a mere character quirk. Many of Ms. Franklin's contemporaries in soul and R&B -- and in the music industry in general -- were routinely ripped off by greedy managers and promoters. She was determined not to fall prey to this practice and to receive, directly and in advance, what she was owed.
Just one more way in which she demanded respect.
20
I can't speak for the rest of yous, but you're wrong, sir, when you say that we reserved the term "swagger" (or "swagga" in current lingo) for the male artists.
Aretha Franklin had swagga down, in spades.
It certainly did not take her death to make ME realize that... Perhaps that's the difference between coming at her music as a young woman vs. a man. Maybe how you appreciated her in her time had more to do with one's own attitudes toward the sexes rather than race?
Nice essay though, calling out attention to what some of us saw in her work and performances well before her death...
5
This NY Times analysis confirms what I have long suspected — that Aretha Franklin's interpretation of a conventional relationship song transformed it into an anthem for the disenfranchised: people who because of race or gender or economic status are left out of the decision making process and as a result are doomed to be second-class citizens.
It’s still a great pop standard, but the energy that drives it is based not on its original theme — a wistful plea for understanding — but rather on an angry demand to be taken seriously as an equal partner, whether in a relationship or a work environment or as a voter in a democracy.
It could be argued that Aretha's interpretation of “Respect” made it the most powerful protest song of the '60s, a call to action for the disempowered, a declaration that we are mad as hell and not going to take it any longer.
Next time you hear her sing it, consider this article's assertion that as great artists always do, Aretha started with something rather parochial and made it over into something that speaks for us all.
12
As I reflect on Aretha and all she brought to our music and culture, it strikes me that an overlooked contribution may have been bringing authenticity to a mainstream audience.
Sam Cooke and Motown, before her, presented that market with a version of soul music, but it was sanitized for a "cross over" market. Other artists--Otis Redding, James Brown, et al, (as well as a lot of blues, gospel, country, folk, and bluegrass artists) had always retained that authenticity, but (at least until Aretha came along) didn't reach a mainstream audience.
Aretha made authenticity cool, and by so doing helped to open up a panoply of American music that might otherwise have been ignored.
In that respect, she was integral to (of all things), the 1960's folk revival. And an integral part of our love affair with American music.
8
Anyone who watched Aretha Franklin throw down her fur coat and belt out "Natural Woman" for President Obama at the televised Kennedy Center Honors saw the swagger, no doubt!
Everyone has their own Aretha Franklin favorites (one of my top five is I Never Loved a Man The Way That I Love You) but the power and authenticity of her voice is undeniable.
6
"We tend not to think of Ms. Franklin that way — as an artist of bravado and nerve and daring, as a woman with swagger. We tend not to think of her this way even though nearly every song she sang brimmed over with it." I have no idea why Wesley Morris thinks this. OF COURSE she had bravado, nerve, daring, swagger. Does WM really think he's the only one capable of hearing her songs?
16
Humanity tends to take so much for granted and Aretha, along with other great, great singers like Streisand and Celia Cruz in their own genres, is no exception. I for one loved her from the moment I first heard her back in 1967 and she continued and continues to be a part of the soundtrack to my own life. Thank you, Aretha, for the great gifts you gave to so many.
10
"We tend not to think of Ms. Franklin that way — as an artist of bravado and nerve and daring, as a woman with swagger." Our family has always thought of her as an artist with bravado, nerve, and daring - and strength, perseverance, and unbelievable talent.
23
Thank you for writing a tribute worthy of Ms. Aretha. We fans can't thank her enough--her gifts and generosity was bigger than the tributes given, be we can keep trying.
7
@Ann
This is the account of Aretha's charitable giving that appeared in the Detroit News:
"She was particularly active each year during the winter holidays in donating to food pantries and her late father’s church, New Bethel Baptist Church, in Detroit. In the past, she donated canned and uncooked food in quantity, but in more recent years, as the neighborhood surrounding New Bethel Baptist struggled to accommodate the many homeless and locals who had no way of preparing their own food, she AND THE CURCH provided free, cooked Thanksgiving dinners to thousands at her Thanksgiving Gospel Music Feast, along with a slate of gospel music from some of the genre’s greatest stars."
Try as you might, I don't think you'll find any account of Aretha writing a check to a worthy charity, although she did do some charitable benefits. For a huge star, it is worth noting that Aretha's charitable spirit never seemed to reach her wallet.
Pretending that our idols' generosity was off the charts when it barely existed is something like an urban myth. Let the truth be your guide.
@Ann-Thank you for writing a tribute worthy of Ms. Aretha. We fans can't thank her enough--her gifts and generosity will always be greater than the tributes given, but we can keep trying to show our appreciation. Listening to her amazing 30 Greatest Hits album now. Flawless singing. Flawless arrangement. Flawless Aretha.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOSB4Y8e3Z4
I had the honor and privilege of seeing Aretha Franklin in concert twice, once in Akron, Ohio right after Respect became a hit in 1967 and the second time in the late 1970's here in New York. This tribute by Wesley Morris is the best writing which describes her approach to music that I have read since the Queen of Soul went Home to be with the Lord. Based on some of these comments, many of you don't understand what he was saying about her work. Take a close look at a live performance of Giiving Him Something He Can Feel, which you can see on YouTube, which captures the Swagger he describes. No other singer before or after Aretha would approach a song in this way. Check out the impact she had on that audience. We will not see another singer like her in the next 100 years. May she Rest in Heavenly Peace.
12
@Donna Bailey
re. "Based on some of these comments, many of you don't understand what he was saying about her work. Take a close look at a live performance of Giiving Him Something He Can Feel, which you can see on YouTube, which captures the Swagger he describes."
----------------
I think you are misreading the comments. Of course Aretha Franklin had swagger. No need to re-watch those videos to confirm it.
This critic is saying that we as Americans did not appreciate, or even recognize, Aretha Franklin's swagger during her lifetime, that it was something we reserved for male artists.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The swagger was what drew so many listeners to her -- you can't deny how appreciated she was during her lifetime. How beloved by so many "cross over" groups.
Do you think it took her death for you or this critic to finally appreciate her? For some of us, it did not.
3
Forever the Queen of Soul. May she be in that pink cadillac, on her way to sing for the angels. Aretha helped make my teenage days that much sweeter. I have been playing all her music yesterday and listening to it today. I believe that there is no one that will ever be able to replace her, that's why I say, she will forever be the Queen of Soul. Rest in peace beautiful songstress.
9
"Ms. Franklin turned the plea into the most empowering popular recording ever made," claims the very opinionated Mister Morris. NO, it's not. (Does he know every popular recording ever written?) As much as I love the glorious Aretha and grew up with her music, let's just keep it all a tiny bit real. Remember that music and who loves what is also still and always will be a very personal assessment and is linked to generations, gender, race, time and space. Some people would say that the best and most important song ever written is "Imagine". This is not to say that maybe to many, "Respect" is indeed THE best song ever....still, let's all be the judges...
"Aretha Franklin Had Power; Did We Truly Respect it?"
HAD power??? You think it ended with her death? All the tributes have increased that power exponentially, introducing her to millions too young to have loved her - and I mean LOVE!! - as I and other geezers have for more than 50 years.
Did we truly respect it? When did that stop???
16
@Alan Chaprack HAD power??? You think it ended with her death?
-----
Amen! Preach it!!
NYT, you chose the wrong critic (Wesley Morris born 1975) to write the tribute to the Queen. He now has his OWN doubts about whether we (he) respected the Queen enough. The column's headline is more about him than anyone else.
The world, her peers, her contemporaries, and most others gave Queen Aretha R-E-S-P-E-C-T and still do.
29
@Judy Berk Yeah, should've chosen someone of her age group-ish.
1
Wonderful! Wesley Morris nailed it!
11
In 1968, two suburban white 9-year olds hanging out playing baseball. One pauses and says to the other, "Hey, you gotta hear that song 'Think' by Aretha Franklin...It is SO tuff."
So then I did hear it. And I ran out and bought the 45 vinyl disc ($1 in those days). Yeah, that song was SO tuff. And it still is.
21
This piece forced me to think about how much we take for granted, music making, singing in particular, involves something more than just what we know as craft and talent.
There is something someone gives that is more than just whatever gift we sometimes presume came as birthright.
I rarely think of what we, as a community, or, I, as an individual listener, take from an artist. That when someone's artistry comes from their pain, their living, their cries, their ability to take something wrenching within and share it, there is so much more they give up that I might not be aware of -- so much so that I might not ever fully appreciate how unintentionally, yet cavalierly, I may have taken what the artist forfeited.
Music making, as Aretha did it, required from her a depth of sacrifice, perhaps unknown to us, and, just maybe we did not afford her the level of respect she was due. We thought we did, but did not. She, likely, relinquished part of her life force, if you will, that might never be returned to her properly.
And, I am not naive. Most singers don't require that of us. I know that. I do. But did I think about what Ms. Franklin handed to me, as gift, in a way that gave proper respect to what transformative music required of her.
I don't think I got that in a way that "hit home" until I read this.
The morning after we lost such a soul, as Aretha Louise Franklin I have a greater understanding of what I may have taken for granted. Thank you, Mr. Morris.
14
@Tony Glover Beautifully expressed! It is incredible to think that such power and beauty can emanate from a human being, for in Aretha's case it seemed something holy spoke through her. She was not quite a saint, though at this time even a Jewish person like me would like to anoint her.
1
Aretha was wise, and we are all fortunate she shared her musical gifts, and her wisdom, with us. She sang truth straight into our hearts.
6
Aretha Franklin was one of her generation's greatest popular singers. Her voice and styling transcended genres from gospel to soul to pop to rock as a soloist in the gospel churches of the 1950's and 1960's she was peerless. Dr. King heard her sing as a child and a teenager. Ms. Franklin's Her contemporaries laud her as the greatest singer and performer of our time. Female singers model themselves on Aretha. Smokey Robinson spoke last night of growing up on the block with Aretha ans the power of her voice. I wish you had asked Mr. Robinson to contribute an article on Ms. Franklin. Aretha was, above all, the singer's singer.
2
Aretha Franklin, in my opinion, accomplished what no other artist of her time was able to do: she got me, a white kid who lived in a white community (Northeast Philadelphia), and ALL of my high school friends to FEEL the pain & SOUL of the black community.
On a warm summer evening in 1967, I drove down to our local "EL" station to pick up my dad from work, parked, and switched the car into "ACC" mode. My radio was tuned to the local top 40 station, WIBG, and "Respect" came on. It the first time I heard it. I was 17, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I was nothing shortof riveted. THIS was different. THIS WAS SPECIAL!
Sure, like the rest of my peers. I loved (& still love) the Motown sound of the Supremes, Temptations, & Four Tops, but their music, to that point, didn't seem to show the pain of the black community. Aretha put it in your face with such power it couldn't be denied or misunderstood. And it was so musically correct & compelling you couldn't help but listen (really LISTEN) to her message(s).
Yesterday, when I learned of her death, I pulled her vinyl records our of my collectionon & played them - all of them - I was taken back to that warm evening in 1967. It was just like the first time I heard Aretha Franklin on that AM car radio with one difference - I cried.
For those of you that know her only for her "hits," I encourage you to listen to her albums. You'll have no trouble understanding why Aretha, & no one else, has been dubbed "The Queen Of Soul."
52
Here are my remembrances of Ms. Franklin and her artistry: confident yet shy; bold yet vulnerable; virtuosity beyond measure; a voice that had to sing; a person commanding respect while embodying and giving respect to other people.
“Queen of Soul?" That's a music industry's title for Ms. Franklin. For my mother and other people in the black community, Ms. Franklin was referred to as the "Original Soul Sister.” That moniker described a woman who embodied equal parts devoted lover and nurturer, and a fierce believer in equality for all people. It spoke to the integrity of one's character and the power of womanhood. So, the statement, "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" is as much a song lyric as it is a command prompt on behalf of women from all races, religions and ethnic backgrounds.
Her artistic legacy in my opinion, was the outward expression of her inner self; "hold other people to the same level of respect that you hold for yourself." And always, always stay true to who you are!
Ms. Aretha, your work on earth her is done, take your rest and rest in peace!
8
"(Otis) Redding made it a burning plea. Ms. Franklin turned the plea into the most empowering popular recording ever made."
Otis made it a plea but Aretha turned it into a DEMAND!
18
Aretha deserved a better-written tribute.
15
With all due Respect to the author, I disagree about the choice of song. “Chain of Fools” was easily Aretha’s most powerful and moving song for many of us serving in combat in Vietnam. The Brothers because their country was so sorely abusing them, the rest of us because she sang how we felt 24 hours a day waiting to see if we would make it through 12 months to go home. Waiting and watching as fool after fool didn’t and fool after fool arrived to replace them . Love you Aretha. Always will. I’ll have “Chain of Fools” played at my funeral when it comes around, not “Danny Boy,” or a lesser song. Besides, if I can’t have you at my funeral, I can have your voice.
46
Speak for yourself -- to me she has always defined 'swagger', in the best possible way. As a little girl, I saw her and heard her voice and took away the lesson that a woman could and should be BIG, could and should fill up the room. That a woman's voice and her point of view are meant to be listened to and heeded. So much of the world hammered home the message that a woman should be small, should be meek, should defer, focus on catering the needs of others. That a woman's role was to take up as little space as possible. I looked at that message, and then I looked at Aretha Franklin belting out her demand to be valued as a person , and I knew which one I wanted to follow. Thank You, Ms. Franklin!
41
Please tell me that she read this.
5
@Elizabeth that was the irony of this piece for me. Asking whether she got the respect she was due in an appreciation piece likely published after she'd passed away.
Did she? I wish we knew.
1
@B. H. 8 grammys...
I'd just like to add that Aretha played astonishing gospel organ too. She could play piano and organ on stage AND sing while doing so.
11
“We’re unlikely to see another superstar as abundantly steeped in real self-confidence...that self-confidence wasn’t evident only in the purses and perms and headdresses and floor-length furs...” Ah, if only perms and headdresses and floor-length furs were examples of self-confidence.
Franklin, in private life, was as tormented and self-doubting as any other artistic genius, a label of which precious few are deserving. No, swagger didn’t earn Franklin a place in music history, but sheer talent - the ability to relate to everyone in the room. “I sing to the realist,” she once said. “People who accept it like it is.” And couldn’t we all use just a little respect?
10
@BobMeinetz
I just got laid off after 33 years, and my confidence is shaken. I'm gonna listen to Aretha and get it back!
4
An eloquent tribute, thank you.
9
I'm not so sure, Wesley Morris. Aretha WAS swagger. She was - and will always be - singular. That voice - that style. Watch when one of her songs comes on the soundtrack in a restaurant, a shop, a bar. We smile, our bodies move (just a little bit), we sing along - and sometimes we shout with her.
Would she have wanted to be president, a saint or have her own country? She was The Queen. "It's an acknowledgement of my art," she was quoted as saying of her title. "It means I am excelling at my art and my first love. And I am most appreciative."
28
When I read Trump's comment that had "employed" Ms. Franklin, I nearly upchukked. A certain 18th century aristocrat did employ one J.S. Bach, but few now remember the aristocrat's name, and the glory of Bach's music has lived on through the centuries. The same will be true of the Queen of Soul!
41
This was such an incredibly beautiful tribute to an incredibly beautiful woman. Thank you so much Wesley Morris.
19
Thanks, Mr. Morris, for this wonderful tribute, filled with lively, fun writing and astute commentary.
Aretha's voice is more than part of the sound track of my life, it is one of the voices in my head that reminds me of the power of black women, women in general, and fighting for what you want and what you believe in. She lent strength to many. I hope I never stop hearing her.
16
"You could bake a pie in the pause between 'nobody' and 'always.'" Wesley, I have the greatest r-e-s-p-e-c-t for your writing.
79
lol ... I had to go listen to the song after reading that line!
6
Thank you for this, Mr. Morris. On Monday, when I heard she was gravely ill, I felt very much as you say—that I hadn’t given her her due. That I should have thanked her for all she’s given me. Her music has always been there for me. I took Aretha Franklin for granted. Thank you, Ms. Franklin. RIP
64
And, on top of everything else, she seemed like a beautiful, a wonderful human being.
64
And what a graceful swan she was!
8
"Swagger" is what artists have who are only mediocre in ability, and therefore have to fill the stage with something that distracts from their limitations.
Michael Jackson was immensely talented. But he had only a tiny, tinny voice -- even though he had fine musicianship. Hence, all that swagger. The superb dancing complements & even eclipses the modest voice.
Aretha had a huge voice and perfect control over all of its hues, over its unquantifiable power to come down on a listener like a tidal wave of gorgeous, precise, defined, infinitely supple sound. I was blessed to have heard Ella Fitzgerald perform live. Aretha was better than Ella.
The only woman I have ever heard do so much with her voice to transform an audience from within their core was Maria Callas. Like Aretha, Callas did not have "swagger." Neither of them needed it.
What they both had in abundance, though, was panache. And style, and grace. Tough lives, immense glory & the capacity to transform people from despairing brutes into transcendent geniuses, just through example. Callas's life ended tragically. Aretha's longer life & career ended in the embrace of her devoted family.
They belong to the cohort of the Immortal Greatest Artists of our time.
Thank you for your beautiful, detailed pouring forth of love for someone we all completely understandably adore, and rightly celebrate.
162
Great analogy with Maria Callas!
3
Sorry. But if you didn't appreciate Aretha Franklin while she was still with us , it's too late now.
She had more sould and "swagger" in her her voice than just about anyone on the planet.
You don't get to be a 'Queen' without that.
Think not?
Just listen.
4
Aretha was a one of kind artist with extraordinary talent and presence. I've not read many comments regarding philanthropic involvements or contributions to the black community beyond giving them a sense of pride. I hope she was as big in those areas as other prolific artists of color.
1
@DJMOTT-Aretha Franklin raised her voice for civil rights and for empowering women.
http://time.com/5369587/aretha-franklin-civil-rights/
I loved reading Mr. Morris' article, not only for its chronicling of a wonderwoman but his playful mastery of the written language.
9
What a lady, what a legacy, what a voice, and what a soul! Thank you Aretha and I am sure you have your voice back and are belting them out again in the next life!
1
Perfect tribute.
7
I'm from Detroit, so Aretha Franklin has been a musical staple in my life, just as common as food and water. Mr. Morris has done an excellent job in much of his assessment, the commentary on Dr. Feelgood is spot on. It is without a doubt, not just a favorite Aretha, it is a favorite, period.
But there is one area I strongly disagree with his analysis. "We tend not to think of Ms. Franklin that way - as an artist of bravado..." I don't want to make it a female thing, because I've never known man or woman that didn't view Aretha through the lens of endless swagger. She is the epitome of a BOSS and that is why any female artist that came after and wanted respect (no pun intended) hoped that Aretha would give them the stamp of approval. And any male artist knew who was the star if they took the stage along side her. No one's presence who looms so large can be thought of in other other manner.
She was a living icon, beautifully representing the breath and depth of Black talent and creativity. She is just another example of the greatness Detroit has given to America and the world. Her incredible gifts will keep her immortal. I hope she meets her God, who will say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."
36
"less a household name and more a spiritual resident of our actual home..." you said
Exactly so. What a FABULOUS piece on Aretha. As stunning as her inaugural hat. Thank you, thank you.
19
She was a towering figure in the music scene! Certainly unique, and had great influence! However, with all due respect, I've always felt Otis Redding did a better and more enjoyable job, with the song, RESPECT! May she Rest in Peace.
2
Living in the city where much of our recorded music is produced -and much of it sounds like what it is, mass produced in a factory - I’m always stuck by the passing of a truly unique artist whose music will last forever. Aretha Franklin now joins Johnny Cash, Bill Monroe, Elvis, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Glen Miller, and a host of others. We’ll never stop listening to them.
7
Hey, that cover of 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' - with Keith on guitar, no less - is one of my favorite recordings of hers! Queen of Soul could rock, too!
7
On top of her obvious accomplishments, Aretha truly showed us how to be a "natural woman." In all her ages, her looks, her weights, she moved forward, always forward, always self-assured, always amazing. Not too many women, especially today's celebrity women, can say that.
34
Aretha was a great, but great like so many others. If ever there were a Greatest it has to be The King who was admired by numerous legends as their sole inspiration: Legends as diverse as Springsteen, Dylan, Jagger, Kiri te Kanawa, The Beatles, Robbie Williams, Elton John, James Brown, etc.,. I know as I have collected the quotes.
Placido Domingo famously stated "The voice of Elvis Presley was the only voice I ever wish to have had." That's some praise coming from one of history's greatest tenors.
4
@Hamid Varzi I liked and appreciated Elvis and what he represented musically and politically (yes, he was also a political creation), but he learned his craft 'across town' at the same alters as Aretha. The people that taught Elvis had no reason to be inspired by him, other than to envy the commercial success he had with their creations - success they were structurally denied.
20
@Hamid Varzi
Aretha was unique, as much as Elvis. I don't get the point of your comment. It seems that you are trying to diminish Aretha's greatness.
9
@Hamid Varzi
You didn't mention Cohen and blue eyes Frank Sinatra and Jacques Brel singers I preferred even over Elvis or Franklin.
There might be some who agree with me but I seriously doubt
many do.
Saying she is the greatest makes me feel as if I am wrong when I disagree. and I do disagree.
1
Aretha has always been a personal favorite, but I managed to hold it together after hearing of her death. Until just now. What a brilliantly written tribute to an icon. Equating her voice to a perfectly cooked rack of ribs? Well done.
21
Underated? Is Mr. Morris - whose otherwise fine take on Ms. Franklin is on the mark - delusional? She is and will remain the Queen of Soul, the Empress of Music, the Voice of the Angels.
Ms. Franklin is an American icon underrated by none who belongs on Mt. Rushmore. What it is, indeed.
15
Who is this "we" who doesn't think of Aretha Franklin as an artist "with swagger"? Certainly not me. Swagger was a big part of what I loved and admired in her and wished I had more of in myself.
31
No we did not. Being black meant she was exploited more than her white equivalents by the music industry. Having performed for Presidents means very little. Louis Armstrong in a wonderful documentary expressed the sadness a black artist lives through. Aretha was a wonderful artist and maybe did better than other great black musicians but still there is much more we could have done in appreciation.
16
Many years ago, the mid-80s I recall, as I walked with a friend down 5th Avenue somewhere in the 70s, I saw her. She was awash in furs and jewels slipping into a waiting limousine. Before the door closed between us the irresistable urge hit me. I just said, "Hey, Aretha!" She responded, "Hey baby." And that was that -- a lifelong memory -- a moment of pure grace.
94
Thanks for recommending Aretha Live at Fillmore West.
Musicianship is what I will recall most fondly about Aretha, her vocal assurance in a variety of genre along with her piano accompaniment are the marks of greatness and a true wonder.
Her rendition of "say a little prayer for you " is a favorite.
8
Who said this?
"“I want to begin today by expressing my condolences to the family of a person I knew well. She worked for me on numerous occasions. She was terrific – Aretha Franklin – on her passing. She’s brought joy to millions of lives and her extraordinary legacy will thrive and inspire many generations to come. She was given a great gift from God – her voice, and she used it well. People loved Aretha. She was a special woman. So just want to pass on my warmest best wishes and sympathies to her family.”"
It was Donald Trump
9
"Worked for me"... harrumph. Another daily dose of narcissism...
How about "was lucky to see her to perform many times"...
Barack Obama took it up many notches... Here's how it's done:
"Aretha helped define the American experience. In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade—our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect. May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace."
90
What if I were a tenant in a Trump building and I got him to have the plumbing fixed. Could I them claim that he worked for me?
12
Trump started his statement with two lies (which is no longer a surprise): he did NOT know Aretha well, and she never worked for him. She worked for herself, her fans, and the glorious music. She is as adored as he is despised, and will be remembered as long as people have ears to hear and hearts to feel.
11
Beautiful tribute, but the under-appreciation angle feels forced. I would say many (most?) of us thought of her exactly as you described her - "as an artist of bravado and nerve and daring, as a woman with swagger." We called her Queen. How much more respect are you looking for?
37
Retread kitsch. Tired cliches. Did we really need the barbeque analogy? Instead of jumping onto the Trumpian (and very American) train of hurling superlatives at someone until words have lost their meaning, might be better to consider Aretha's accomplishments in the context of human connection - with the voiceless, the weary, the disenfranchised of all colors who she inspired and helped to lift up in spirit through the years. With her stubborn, defiant, natural individuality always on display, Aretha never stopped being one of them, of us. For all the money that stardom bestows, she never left her handbag at home. And as for making her president, she would not have stooped to such a tawdry career choice.
42
@RMW PREACH!
4
If a race of space aliens arrived on my front step and wanted to know what being human was all about, if I were wise about things, I would just sit them down in front of my stereo and have them listen to her.
There. That. Passion. Honesty.
At our best.
Hugh Massengill, Eugene Oregon
16
Beautifully written!
6
@Lydia ditto!
1
Respct is about a woman asking, pleading, begging her husband not to cheat. Aretha’s strong voice doesn’t fit with the lyrics. The end result is not a transfmation of the meaning. It is a misfit of a powerful voice singing subservient lyrics.
Aretha’s voice is so strong that the lyrics disappear in favor of her voice. She turns the song into an instrument for her vocal range. If Aretha had wanted to send a message she should have worked with different lyrics. Her music wasn’t about strong women. It was about what she could do with her voice. Recreation of who Aretha was to serve feminism is absurd. Aretha wasn’t part of the Resistance. She was one of the greatest female singers who has ever lived. And if you see feminism in her work, you are projecting your own beliefs where they do not fit.
10
It IS a "transformation of the meaning." No one hears the song as you do. The "struggle" (emanating from her spiritual amd emotional experience of the 50s and 60s) is palpable in her delivery, even if she didn't intend it. In fact, the unintentional, instinctive quality of "r-e-s-p-e-c-t" is what makes TRANSFORMS the song into a statement. Methinks you are the one PROJECTING when casting the "projecting" aspersion.
14
@michjas
I think, Michjas, that if you don't see feminism in Aretha's work and personal story then you don't see feminism where it lives -- in a woman's unbridled and unapologetic expression of talent, style, and ambition, in a refusal to be intimidated or dependent for validation on anyone but herself. She didn't decide to serve feminism. She simply embodied it. She wasn't sending a message. She was living it.
I think your refusal to call her feminist says more about your own refusal to recognize the trajectory of feminism in American culture and its transformative power than it does about Aretha.
14
@michjas Not entirely clear on how this article is painting Aretha as a feminist hero, but, that being said, Aretha was absolutely a part of the "Resistance" that was taking place at the time. This song, among others, such as her song "Think" were meant, in part, to speak to the struggle African Americans face in this country and instill a sense of pride in Black people that had so long been denied to them. She had it written into her contract that she would never perform in front of a segregated audience. Her mentor was Mahalia Jackson, who was known as the voice of the Civil Rights Movement. Both her and her father were close to Dr. King, so much so that she sang at Dr. King's funeral. She even offered to bail Angela Davis, a known communist, out of jail saying, "I know you got to disturb the peace when you can't get no peace." Seems pretty resistant to me.
5
Artistic power is a strange thing. With regard to song and show there a indelible marks that impact people whether Pavoratti or Lenin or a boy band that happens for a sweet sixteen girl. Power in music is something that orients subtle emotion in life and we must allow it into us since it is not imposed. The people behind the artistic power seem close but are a fabrication of legend- most people never really meet their idols. If we're talking power it is in the abstract and quite different for each person.
5
@Victor Lacca As Coltrane said, "let the music speak for itself. It is truly a love supreme."
1
@Victor Lacca
Lenin? Vladimir? Are you crazy? Do you men Lennon, as in John?
"We tend not to think of Ms. Franklin that way — as an artist of bravado and nerve and daring, as a woman with swagger."
I certainly think of her that way and I always have. Why do men always assume they speak for everyone?
53
@Davis
If you're really concerned about sweeping generalizations, do you not notice that you yourself made one in your own post?
11
@Marc I'll be more specific. Why does the NYT promote front and center the opinion of a man, delivered as an undisputed fact, that has been stated by no woman ever? How's that?
Three points --
(1) Aretha Franklin was a splendid artist, and a great person …
(2) The civil-rights interpretation of Aretha's "Respect" grabs the "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" passage. If you read all the lyrics, the message is a bit different …
(3) The version by Otis Redding (who wrote the song) is very good ...
4
Huge thanks to Wesley Morris for his panoramic
commentary on the life, art & impact of Aretha Franklin. I read it w/tears on my cheeks. Mr Morris' truths about & insights into Ms Franklin's immense contributions to our culture, sociopolitical awareness (such a long long way yet to go) & SWAGGER are, for this life long fan, definitive & deeply touching.
17
Aretha Franklin was as emblematic an American as anyone can be. The seemingly effortless talent, the self-confidence, the swagger, the prickliness. She was also completely and apologetically BLACK, an extremely rare thing in the heyday of her career (only James Brown was in the same class).
"One of a kind" is overused at times like these. It is entirely appropriate when it comes to Aretha Franklin and her peerless gifts. She stomped the terra in a very big way. She will be missed.
108
@Kilgore Trout
Beautiful comment, but please add a little "un" before the "apologetically" - I mean,
this is the key word of the entire passage…
7
@Kilgore Trout
Aretha and James Brown were SOUTHERN Black (even though she was from my hometown. Her friend and neighbor Smokey was Northern in his Blackness and style, as were the Miracles, Temptations, Four Tops, Bobby Taylor, Mary Wells, Martha and the Vandellas, Originals, ...
4
Don’t you mean unapologetically BLACK!