Aretha Franklin Dies at 76

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Even though Rolling Stone named her the #1 female vocalist, I've always felt she was under-appreciated. The SACD compilation of her hits sounds really good -- think I'll play it tonight!

Am in total agreement. Aretha has always been a true force of nature. Her performance a few years back at the annual Kennedy Awards Ceremony in Washington, DC of [You Make Me Feel like a] Natural Woman had honoree Carole King and then President Barack Obama on their feet as she hit every high note [and then some] imaginable!
 
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One night in my school days like 1973 it was a cold night I was walking back from a night class when I heard one of the best sound systems ever for that time, they were playing Aretha and loud! But it sounded so good, I had to just sit on the steps and listen to the entire album. Never forget that. Must have been the quad album, due to the openness of the sound and clear loud volume that was not at all rude.
 
this is truly sad news, but here in detroit we saw it coming, she has been battling several health issues for the last couple of years. Aretha is a very special lady, not many outside of detroit know just how much she has been helping the hungry and the homeless here. The church where her father was pastor and she began singing is in a depressed area, she has continued support to that church over the years in it's vigorous shelter and food programs, donating thousands every year towards relief efforts. she personally funds a weekly meal program where she was regularly seen up to about a year ago actually helping prepare and serve the disadvantaged. detroit is a big city that is still small enough to where nearly everyone living here knows someone who has been in contact somehow with Aretha. She is the kind of person who can see the importance of everyone who is lucky enough to come in contact with her. She will be greatly missed not only for her enormous talent but for the genuine humanitarian and the truly fine person that she is.
my own Aretha story: I run a medium sized plumbing and heating company here and have been her plumber for many years up until about 5 years ago when she sold her last house at the detroit golf club and moved into a condo on the riverfront. She always called in service under the name Cunningham, not sure why and never really asked but before anyone was dispatched to her house she always wanted to talk to me to make sure either i was going to personally supervise the job or send someone good. in One of my very early dealings with Aretha she had gone on an extended tour and left the house in the care of one of her sons. well he turned out to be somewhat undependable in shutting off the heat in the winter and going off on vacation. she had multiple frozen and broken pipes throughout the house and we are not talking about a small house. After Working late in the house one day i could not resist sitting down at a beautiful red enamel full size grand piano she had in her music room that sat right in the middle of giant rug with a big red rose. I lost myself playing that piano, the acoustics were so good in this room and the action on that piano was so incredible that i could not help myself and never having access to a full size concert grand was just too much, anyways there i was banging away some elton john on this thing and when i finished i suddenly realized that she was standing right there in the doorway for i don't know how long. She started clapping, and I was completely embarassed, apologizing excessively. She just looked at me and said "I knew today was going to be a good day when I got up but I didn't think I was going to get treated to a concert by my plumber". From then on she always wanted to talk to me before she scheduled. A beautiful person and I will miss her very much.
 
I'm not a big fan of death watches and, worse, of 'close friends or family' that leak such things to TMZ or any other news outlet prematurely. I'd known Aretha has had serious health issues in recent years, which is not entirely surprising given her age.

If the worst does come to pass, expect this to be the tribute thread with the appropriate change of title.

ED
 
According to Billboard, Aretha is now home. Her nephew Tim states that she is “alert, laughing, teasing [and] able to recognize people.” “Family is there with her. She’s home,” Tim added on Tuesday (Aug. 14) of his 76-year-old aunt. He said that while the "Respect" hitmaker “is sick,” her family is “trying to keep her spirits up and go from there.”
 
According to Billboard, Aretha is now home. Her nephew Tim states that she is “alert, laughing, teasing [and] able to recognize people.” “Family is there with her. She’s home,” Tim added on Tuesday (Aug. 14) of his 76-year-old aunt. He said that while the "Respect" hitmaker “is sick,” her family is “trying to keep her spirits up and go from there.”

If they want to lift her spirits, throw her a microphone. Or, if they want to lift her spirit, throw a microphone at her. What? Too soon? :eek::p
 
The Queen of Soul is with her maker. RIP, Aretha.


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Thanks, Holland, for sharing that beautiful vignette.

So sad to lose another great voice of soul...after Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley in the past couple years...(who is left out there? Rev. Al Green...)
 
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