A Salute to the Queen of Soul

It’s amazing to think about when one person can touch the lives of millions.

Especially when it’s for good.

The singer Aretha Franklin, who died this past week at the age of 76, was one of those people who had such an outreach through her music.

She rose to fame right around the time I was born in 1968, so I didn’t discover her music until years later. What she was able to achieve in her life is awesome. She produced 20 No. 1 singles on Billboard’s R&B chart and more than 50 that soared into the chart’s Top 10. She was also the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Music Hall of Fame for her contributions.

Her style?

I think the Washington Post’s J. Freedom du articulated it beautifully the other day:

“A graceful mezzo-soprano stylist, Ms. Franklin had remarkable range, power and command, along with the innate ability to burrow into a lyric until she’d found the exact coordinates of its emotional core.”

Ms. Franklin awakened emotions and brought inspiration to people.

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Like many people, the songs that first come to mind when Ms. Franklin is mentioned are “Respect,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Think,” and “I Say a Little Prayer.” But her library of work is much more expansive.

I would suggest everyone to go back and listen not just to the hits above but find out about her other recordings. In fact, if you have Sirius XM Radio, the satellite music service has devoted one its channels to replays of her music. Or one can look up her discography online and hear and see her performances. If one touches you or impacts you in a special way, share it with your family, friends as well as to the public through social media.

Aretha was one of those special people who influenced millions through her soulful compilations.

Let’s make sure it continues to reach millions more.