Phenomenal Aretha Franklin

That voice, the lightning bolt power of that voice, was like the Eighth Wonder of the World.  When I was a schoolboy back in South Central Los Angeles during the politically turbulent 1960s, the first time I heard her sing "Respect" on local radio, I had goosepimples.  My soul felt instantly illuminated.  I'd achieved super-consciousness.  Her voice was invincible and invincible was also how she made me feel.  That was a feeling we needed in the Civil Rights era.  She was unapologetically Black and, with her clarion call of a voice, lifted up our community to feel the same way.

Of course, I had to dash over to the local record store (called The House of Aisha) four blocks away from our house and buy the 45.  I'd eventually buy another one because I wore the first copy out.

She was called The Queen of Soul...but, to me, she seemed to be more than a queen. She was a Goddess with magical powers in that voice.  It was raw.  It was real.

"Respect," "Chain of Fools," "Natural Woman," "I Say a Little Prayer," "Since You've Been Gone," "Rock Steady"....

I bought her records, her albums, listened to her on the radio and I watched her TV appearances. Oh, and I let my backbone slip dancin' to her music!  We all did.  Also, I was lucky enough to see her perform live onstage more than once.  She was dynamic and unforgettable.  Her work, through all my years, was a part of my life.  When I started my TV career, working as an entertainment news contributor, I had to review 1980's THE BLUE BROTHERS movie.  It was a fun comedy.  But, honestly, I didn't feel that it really came to life until Aretha Franklin appeared as a diner waitress and threw down singin' "Think."  Lawd, have mercy!

When I was a VH1 veejay in the late 80s, I was thrilled to present her music videos "Freeway of Love" and her duet with George Michael, "I Knew You Were Waiting."

She was an expert musician and a smart singer.  She could adapt her style for the changing times to make her work stand out in the 80s the way it did in the 60s. She'd continue to do that.

A lot will be written about her today and through the weekend.  There will be special tributes and pieces with writing far, far superior to time.  Nevertheless, I wanted to write a little something -- and share one of my favorite examples of how Aretha Franklin could go into areas outside of the rhythm and blues workshop to embrace a tune and make it her own.

To me, Aretha not only took you to church with the majesty of her gospel-fueled voice, she was a great actress.  A great actress who did not technically act in films the way other sings who won Oscar nominations for their performances did -- singers like Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Doris Day, Bing Crosby, Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross, to name a few.  Nevertheless, like those fellow vocalists, Aretha Franklin realized that a good song is a monologue.  It tells a story. It has an emotional life.  She gave each song that life.

Remember how fanboy happy Frank Sinatra was as a presenter on the Academy Awards right after Aretha Franklin had sung the Best Song Oscar nominee, "Funny Girl," from the 1968 movie FUNNY GIRL starring Barbra Streisand?

Betty Hutton, one of the top Hollywood musical comedy stars of the 1940s to early 50s, had one of her biggest hits with the 1947 film, THE PERILS OF PAULINE.  In that film, Hutton introduced a Frank Loesser tune that got an Oscar nomination for Best Song.  Here's the Aretha Franklin rendition of "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" from 1947's THE PERILS OF PAULINE.

Aretha Franklin was friends with and was a Civil Rights activist with Dr. Martin Luther King when we Black Americans were demanding respect -- demanding the right to vote, the right to an education, the right to housing and the right to equal opportunities in the workplace.  When Dr. King voiced opposition to the Vietnam War, money from donors started to decrease rapidly.  Aretha sang to raise funds for Dr. King.  She sang at Dr. King's funeral after his voice was stilled by a racist assassin's bullet in 1968.  Decades later, in 2009, she sang at the inauguration of America's first Black president, Barack Obama.  What a life.  What a legend. Aretha Franklin was peerless and fearless.  May she rest in peace.