In a world where it has become common to deify musicians, Aretha Franklin is about as close as it comes to being appropriate. Her career and her personal life have both seen their share of unfortunate twists and turns, but the \Queen of Soul"" remains one of the greatest figures of the whole pop music era, and even more so among American musicians, female musicians and black musicians.
Born in 1942 in Memphis, Tenn., and raised in Detroit, Mich., Franklin was the second child of the Rev. C.L. Franklin, a renowned Baptist preacher. This gained her exposure to gospel legends like Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward, both of whom stayed at the Franklin house regularly. After making a gospel record during her mid-teens, she signed with Columbia Records in 1960. While her talent was apparent at Columbia, her tenure there was marked by an inability to find a musical identity, as she performed an uncomfortable mix of material that ranged from blues and rock n' roll to show tunes.
In 1966, Franklin moved to Atlantic Records. Working with Atlantic guru Jerry Wexler and the legendary session musicians in Muscle Shoals, she formed a new style for herself that built on the progress made by prominent artists like Sam Cooke and Ray Charles in bringing gospel-influenced R&B to the mainstream. The next few years saw her make some of the greatest and most influential records in the history of soul and pop music, including classics like ""Respect"" and ""(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.""
Franklin's music for Atlantic and Arista in the late '70s and '80s was disappointing (in spite of 1985's being her best-selling album), but neither her later music nor the enormity of her reputation and legend should cloud what is at the heart of the matter'the brilliance and artistry of her singing and the power of the records she made in her heyday at Atlantic. In her time at Atlantic, Aretha Franklin set the standard for female pop singers; one that still has not been matched.
Part of Franklin's greatness was her unmatched ability to express emotion in her singing. There is perhaps no greater definition of anguish than the way she delivers the words ""take it easy"" in her 1967 classic, ""Chain of Fools."" The same is true of her rapturous delivery of ""Natural Woman."" In an era when Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera shout out every word and stretch notes just to show they can, it is impossible not to look back with admiration on the nuance with which Franklin used her voice as an instrument, always in a way that drove a stake into the emotional heart of the lyric.
This ability shined through in her records at Atlantic, thanks to her great selection of material. Her use of outside material was brilliant, both in her cover versions of songs by acts like Otis Redding and the Beatles and in her collaborations with songwriters like Carole King and Gerry Goffin. Her version of ""Respect"" has caused history to almost lose Redding's original in the shuffle. Franklin's own songwriting should not be ignored either, with credits including ""Think"" and ""(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone.""
Franklin's best music was the product of great care and skill. At Muscle Shoals, the session musicians on her records laid down some of the all-time great backgrounds for her vocals, almost always appropriate for her vocals. At the same time, her greatest vocals were as much the product of care and planning as they were of raw talent and spontaneity. As Dave Marsh wrote about Franklin's performance in ""Respect"" in his book ""The Heart of Rock & Soul,"" ""She knows exactly where the song is headed and propels it there with single-minded intensity. There is not a 'Hey baby' or a 'Mis-tuh!' that is accidental.""
Franklin's legacy is one of great peaks and valleys. At times she struggled in the spotlight or disappointed fans with weight problems and George Michael duets, but she has also remained one of the great American icons, symbolized both by her appearance in ""Blues Brothers"" and by her carrying the Olympic torch in Michigan this winter. She has been the victim of spousal abuse and has emerged as one of the great symbols of female strength and perseverance. If nothing else is certain, her title of ""Queen of Soul"" barely scratches the surface.
