Aretha Franklin
R&B/Soul
History
She was born in Memphis, Tennessee on March 24, 1942. She was the daughter of a Baptist preacher and gospel singer. She always had a gift for singing and playing piano, going on the road with her father to revivals. When she went to New York, she was signed with Columbia Records. In 1968, Aretha sang the song "Precious Lord" at Martin Luther King Jr.'s funeral. In 1987, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Aretha was the first female to be in the Hall of Fame. She was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in 2005. In 2008, she won her 18th Grammy Award. She won 8 consecutive Grammy Awards for Best R&B Female Vocal Performance. Aretha released an album from her own label in 2011 named A Women Falling Out Of Love. Aretha is still performing and releasing albums. She released an album last year titled Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics.
The Event
In 1967, she released the album I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Loved You) and it became a big hit. The first song on the album, "Respect" reached the No.1 on the pop and R&B charts. The song won two Grammy Awards.
Top Songs
- "Respect"
- "Think"
- "Dr. Feelgood"
- "Oh Happy Day"
- "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"
- "I Say A Little Prayer"
- "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
Top Albums
- I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Loved You)
- Lady Soul
- Queen of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings
- A Rose Is Still a Rose
- Under Her Spell
Characteristics of R&B/Soul
- It combines African American gospel, jazz, and rhythm and blues.
- They used call and response, where the soloist would call and get a response from the chorus.
- Lyrics are sometimes about the struggles African Americans had to go through to get their freedom. Some talk about the highs and lows of relationships.
Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman [Live]
"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"
S- main vocals, back up vocals,bass guitar, drum set, saxophone, trumpet, piano, bass
H-back up vocals,bass guitar, drum set, saxophone, trumpet, piano, bass
M- main vocals
R-in 4, moderate
G-intro- verse 1- chorus- verse 2- chorus- bridge- chorus- outro
- dynamics- moderate, loud, moderate, loud, moderate
- genre-R&B/ Soul
- shape- roller coaster
Citations
"Aretha Franklin." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.
"Beyond Memory." Google Books. Ed. Sello Galane. African Minds, 2008. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.