By Hollis Wormsby, Jr.
It would appear that Aretha Franklin’s long and distinguished recording career began in 1956 when she published “Songs of Faith”, a gospel album recorded live in her father’s church at the tender age of 14 years old and ended with the 2017 release of “Brand New Me”, her forty second studio album release. In between she created what could arguably be called the greatest collection of music ever created by one artist. Aretha Franklin passed away last week at the age of 76 after what some have called an eight-year battle with pancreatic cancer. Since that time tributes and homages have poured in from the world over and deservedly so. One thing that bothers me with her death, as it does with the death of many people who are deeply revered, is the journalists who seem to think they score points by pointing out demure facts from the deceased’s history. With Aretha there have been stories about how old she was when she had her children. There have been stories about what kind of mother she was, and even stories criticizing her civil rights past, and to me all of these stories are irrelevant and to some extent irreverent. We don’t remember great entertainers because of the little details in their lives, we remember them because of the artistry they brought to our lives. Not only was Aretha Franklin a signature voice for decades of fans, but the truth is that in Aretha’s songs we discovered the joys and pains that were a part of our lives.
When Aretha sang a song like, “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I love You)” or “Do Right Woman-Do Right Man”, these weren’t just songs they were stories that the people she sang to related to. When she confessed her love for a man everybody knew was doing her wrong, there was a woman listening who loved a man who was doing her wrong, too. She felt like Aretha was singing to her or for her. When she sang, “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman”, woman all over the country danced with their man, and told him that was the way he made them feel, and they both felt like Aretha was singing to them or for them. When she released her signature anthem hit, “Respect” in 1967, women all over the world looked in the mirror and many for the first time saw someone deserving of respect, too.
Aretha carried herself with a dignity that made history come calling. She sang songs for Civil Rights rallies and held benefit concerts to benefit the foot soldiers fighting the Civil Rights movement. And in one of the saddest moments for the Black community, she was the one called upon to sing for Dr. Martin Luther King’s funeral. And the version of “Precious Lord” that she delivered on that day is still a You Tube gem.
In 1998 Aretha Franklin decided to create an album targeting a whole new and younger audience released the album called “A Rose Is Still A Rose”, with a hit single by the same name and that was the beginning a new era for the Queen, she would follow with collaborations with some of the hottest young artist, including her infamous collaboration with Fantasia, “Let Me Put You Up On Game.”
Aretha’s music is the kind you play when your heart is broken, and you don’t know what to do next. I remember one time after a breakup I was listening to the radio late at night and “Till You Come Back To Me” came on, and I felt every word.
As I write this piece I am going through one of the more challenging personal periods in my life. A quagmire of dying dreams and the stench of betrayal leave a sad cloud over my world. But as an example of what Aretha’s music means, one night I was having a pity party on You Tube, (For those who are saying what does that mean, it means you find all of your favorite sad songs and play them over and over again) I came across a song called “Angel” that was a 1973 Aretha single release that I had never heard, and the first words were, “Gotta find me an Angel, to fly away with me. Gotta find me an Angel, who will set me free.” And in the midst of my own personal pity party those words soothed my soul and gave me hope. And that is as her work has done for countless others in a career that spanned more than six decades in the public spotlight. That is what the Queen should be remembered for, or at least that’s the way I see it.
(Hollis Wormsby has served as a featured columnist for the Birmingham Times for more than 29 years. He is the former host of Talkback on 98.7 KISS FM and of Real Talk on WAGG AM. If you would like to comment on this column you can email him at hjwormsby@aol.com)
