Steely Dan's hit "Hey Nineteen" proclaims that 'hard times have befallen the Soul Survivors. The lyric appears somewhat prophetic as Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin recuperates from surgery for pancreatic cancer. The producers of this year's Grammy's awards show paid honored to Franklin with a "get well card" featuring musical tributes by Yolanda Adams, Christine Aguillera, Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride and Florence Welch.
The irrepressible Franklin appeared in a video in which she promised to attend next year's Grammy awards.
It's easy to understand the music world's respect and admiration for the woman dubbed the "Queen of Soul". Franklin's timely rise in the industry coincided with the feminist and Civil Rights movements.
Born in a two-bedroom house in Memphis, Franklin's family moved to Buffalo and, later, Detroit. Franklin's mother died when the singer was 10; she was raised primarily by her grandmother. Young Aretha learned to play the piano and sang at the New Bethel Baptist Church where he father worked as a pastor.
Franklin signed a contract with Columbia Record in 1960; But the recording company - which built a reputation with classical music titans (New York Philharmonic Orchestra and Leonard Bernstein, Philadelphia Philharmonic and Eugene Ormandy), soloists (Rosemary Clooney, Frankie Laine and Tony Bennett) and folk performers (Bob Dylan, Peter Paul and Mary, New Christy Minstrels) lacked an appreciation of their artist's talents. Franklin scored Rhythm and Blues (R&B) hits "Operation Heartbreak" and "It Won't Be Long". But the label relegated her to covering standards ("Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody") and covers of pop tunes like "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)" and "Mockingbird". Franklin and Columbia parted ways in 1966.
In a career game changer, Franklin signed with the independent label, Atlantic Records. Unlike the conventional Columbia label, Atlanta focused on R&B, soul and jazz. The label's stable of talent included Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, Brook Benton and Solomon Burke. In 1967, Franklin enjoyed an incredible string of American classics: "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)", "Do Right Woman", "Chain of Fools" and "You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman)". In a year of Top-40 female artists that featured Lulu ("To Sir With Love"), Petula Clark ("This Is My Song", "Don't Sleep in the Subway") and the Supremes ("Love Is Here and Now You're Gone", "The Happening" and "Reflections"), Franklin transformed the Redding song "Respect" into a feminist anthem.
Franklin's interpretation of songs offered a no-nonsense, urban point of view. Take the Burt Bacharach and Hal David song "I Say A Little Prayer". When Dionne Warwick takes time from her coffee break time in 1967, one imagines a white-collar professional... a nurse, teacher or a girl from the typing pool. While Warwick sounded cool and confident, Franklin conveyed more emotional urgency... her prayer had better be answered, When Franklin covered the tune one year later, one can imagine her protagonist as as a factory worker, housekeeper or crossing guard. Franklin passed on a future hit "Son of a Preacher Man" in 1968. British icon Dusty Springfield churned out a #10 blue-eyed soul tune for her Dusty in Memphis album. After hearing Sprinfield's version, Franklin recorded the tune two years later.
The hits - "Daydreamin", "Rocksteady", "Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" - rolled on through the mid 1970s. However, the relationship with the label get strained when Atlantic promoted the careers of soul singers Roberta Flack, Natalie Cole and Chaka Khan. When her disco single "La Diva" tanked in 1979, Franklin and Atlantic parted ways.
Franklin belted out "Think" in the John Belushi/Dan Aykroyd movie The Blues Brothers in 1980. Arista Records signed Franklin, who recorded returned to Billboard charts with "United Together" and "Love All the Way Hurt". Her 1985 album Who's Zoomin' Who? - a compilation of R&B, pop, dance and rock tunes - went platinum and generated the artist's first Billboard hits since the Nixon presidency :"Freeway of Love: (#3) and "Who's Zoomin' Who?" (#7). The 1987 duo "I Know You Were Waiting (For Me)" with George Michael garnered Franklin her first #1 hit since "Respect" two decades earlier.
In 1987, Franklin became the first female performer inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. The second induction class included Bo Diddley, Marvin Gaye, B.B. King, Smokey Robinson and Carl Perkins.
Franklin performed at President Bill Clinton's inauguration ceremony in 1993. Sixteen years later, Franklin - upon the request of the future occupant of the White House - sang "My Country 'Tis of Thee" at President Barack Obama's inauguration. The grey church hat that Franklin wore during the ceremonies was donated to the Smithsonian Institution.
The long-awaited album Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love will be released in May.
Franklin promises fans that she will attend next year's Grammy awards. We will hold you to that oath, Queen of Soul.
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