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Aretha Franklin Describes The Loss Of Prince As A "Blow"


Aretha Franklin Prince

Soul star Aretha Franklin has described the untimely death of Prince as "such a blow". The RESPECT singer paid tribute to the Purple Rain hitmaker who passed away at his home on Thursday, April 21 after displaying ‘flu-like symptoms’. Describing Prince as a "unique individual", Aretha Franklin, 73, said he was into his music "to the max".

PrincePrince has been mourned by many across the world

Female First reported that Aretha said: "It’s really surreal. It’s just kind of unbelievable."

Continue reading: Aretha Franklin Describes The Loss Of Prince As A "Blow"

Aretha Puts Diva On Top Of Diva


Aretha Franklin Adele David Letterman

Known as one of music’s great divas herself, Aretha Franklin’s newest album of covers puts diva on top of diva as the Queen of Soul tackles some of music’s biggest tunes, starting with a version of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep. The album, Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics, is due out on 21 October and includes a number of well-known melodic masterpieces from Etta James, Gladys Knight and The Pips, Alicia Keys and The Supremes amongst others.

Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin is one of music's greatest soul singers

While 26-year-old Adele may seem particularly young within the company of greats such as Chaka Khan and Gloria Gaynor, many fans are excited about the cover, which went live on Monday.

Continue reading: Aretha Puts Diva On Top Of Diva

Aretha Franklin Lashes Out At Canadian Fast Food Join For Showing Her No Respect


Aretha Franklin

Legendary singer Aretha Franklin has publically scolded an employee at Johnny Rockets, a Canadian fast food franchise, for being disrespectful. The accused waitress reportedly "screamed" at Franklin for attempting to eat her takeout inside the Niagara Falls restaurant.

Aretha Franklin
Franklin was shocked by the waitress' attitude

The 72 year-old stopped by the fast food joint on Tuesday evening (July 22nd) after performing a sold-out show in Lewiston, N.Y., when the confrontation took place.

Continue reading: Aretha Franklin Lashes Out At Canadian Fast Food Join For Showing Her No Respect

R-E-S-P-E-C-T Was Not Served To Aretha Franklin In Ontario Fast Food Joint


Aretha Franklin

Who could even have the nerve to treat Aretha Franklin without R-E-S-P-E-C-T? A Johnny Rockets server in Niagara Falls, Ontario, apparently. After an apology for the shameless use of that reference, here’s the rundown of exactly what happened.

Aretha Franklin
This is not how you treat the queen of soul. Or anyone else, for that matter.

According to USA Today, Mrs Franklin had just finished performing a sold out show on Tuesday, when she decided to stop at the chain establishment for a burger. All was going relatively well, until she wanted to stay in and eat her food. This was when a server reportedly started yelling at the soul icon that she couldn’t eat her burger in, because she had ordered it “to go”. This sounds sharply, uncomfortably familiar to at least a few readers already. 

Continue reading: R-E-S-P-E-C-T Was Not Served To Aretha Franklin In Ontario Fast Food Joint

Beyoncé "Honoured & Humbled" By Hall Of Fame Exhibition


Beyonce Knowles Aretha Franklin The Supremes Peter Gabriel Beatles Nirvana Janis Joplin

Beyoncé's fabulous collection of stage outfits in addition to some of her red carpet looks will be the focus of a new exhibition hosted at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. 

Beyonce
Beyonce's 'Single Ladies' outfit has been immortalised at Madame Tussauds.

Read More: It's "All Good" Between Solange Knowles & Jay-Z Following Elevator Fight.

Continue reading: Beyoncé "Honoured & Humbled" By Hall Of Fame Exhibition

Renee Fleming Announced For Super Bowl 2014: A Look Back On Some Of The Great Anthem Singers Through The Years


Renee Fleming Aretha Franklin Garth Brooks Beyonce Knowles Jennifer Hudson Christina Aguilera

Opera soprano Renee Fleming has been announced to sing the “Star-Spangled Banner” at the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII in MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Feb. 2. Fleming’s appointment is a pretty big deal, considering that the Super Bowl is easily the most watched television event of the year in the US. Last year, 111 million people nationwide tuned into the game, the infamous Super Bowl ads and, of course, the half time show. Fleming is also a bit of an unusual choice, given that the anthem has been performed by mainstream pop stars every year for the past decade.

Renee Fleming
When it comes to performing live, Fleming is a trusted veteran.

Some of the performances have been stunning and unforgettable, like Aretha Franklin’s 2006 rendition, while others, like Christina Aguilera’s 2011 blunder might be better left forgotten. Hopefully, this year’s anthem performance will have patriots in tears (the good kind), but if not, there are always these historical renditions to look back on fondly.

Continue reading: Renee Fleming Announced For Super Bowl 2014: A Look Back On Some Of The Great Anthem Singers Through The Years

Video - Miley Cyrus Covers Up More Than Usual At FGI Night Of Stars Gala - Part 2


It truly was what it said on the tin at the Fashion Group International's 30th Annual Night Of Stars held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York, as the likes of pop sensation Miley Cyrus and soul legend Aretha Franklin made appearances at the gala. Miley looked almost unrecognisable in a floor length sparkly gown with only her arms and back on show - as opposed to her preferred see through variety.

Continue: Video - Miley Cyrus Covers Up More Than Usual At FGI Night Of Stars Gala - Part 2

Muscle Shoals - International Trailer


When Rick Hall opened up his record studio FAME Studios in the small town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, it became something of a rock 'n' roll myth when some of the finest music ever written began to pour out of it. Hits from the likes of Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding became international, and Hall even managed blur the distinction between white and black a little as his all-white session group, The Swampers, became deeply respected among the funk and soul artists. After the session group separated themselves from Hall, some of them set up their own studio, the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, and became the Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section. From here, musicians began to shine their brightest as The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon and Bob Dylan all left that town as legends as if enchanted by the beauty of Muscle Shoals.

Continue: Muscle Shoals - International Trailer

Muscle Shoals Trailer


Muscle Shoals was just a town in Alabama with an extraordinary habit of producing some of the finest music in the world. It started out with Rick Hall and his FAME Studios, producing hits from the likes of Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding and Etta James. And not only that, even at the heart of racial distinction in America, he found the ability to join both black and white in unity over the love of soul music. Even after Hall's session group split up, some of them went to name themselves The Swampers, later becoming known as the Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section when they opened the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. From here came legendary tunes from The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon and Bob Dylan. So just what was it that made Muscle Shoals the must-be place for artist in the seventies?

Continue: Muscle Shoals Trailer

Undisclosed Illness Causes Aretha Franklin To Cancel Michigan Show


Aretha Franklin

Soul legend Aretha Franklin has cancelled a Michigan show due to an ongoing medical treatment. According to Reuters, Franklin issued an open letter of apology to her fans, explaining that there was a “miscalculation” with the duration of her treatment and that it would be counterproductive to discontinue the procedures in favor of her scheduled shows. Franklin and her reps have refused to explain the nature of the singer’s ailments, however. The statement reassures fans that Aretha plans to get back into performing as soon as she has completed the full course of treatments.

Aretha Franklin, Toronto
Franklin performed a string of concerts earlier this year.

“It would be totally disruptive to stop them now and go into concert with total success right at the door,” Franklin explained in the statement.

Continue reading: Undisclosed Illness Causes Aretha Franklin To Cancel Michigan Show

R.I.P Bobby Bland: "The Lion Of The Blues" Singer Dies Aged 83


Bb King Aretha Franklin Van Morrison

The 'Turn On Your Love Light' star, also known as Bobby "Blues" Bland and "The Lion of the Blues", was extremely influential in the blues genre, establishing a unique sound that incorporating gospel-influenced singing into blues and R&B. Robert Calvin Bland was born in 1930 in Rosemark, Tennessee, and later moved to Memphis where he would join gospel groups and frequent Beale Street with its reputation for blues clubs. His career as a singer was temporarily put on hold after serving a stint in the US army, but he fell back into the music scene upon his return. He hit his No.1 spot on the R&B charts with his 1957 single 'Further On Up The Road' and continued to feature in the charts in the late fifties and sixties. He emerged as a unique blues singer with a characteristic vocal style, described by biographers as a "supple, confidential, soul-blues delivery" that would become known as a "chicken-bone sound", characterised by "guttural growls and snorts" whilst retaining a "smooth as velvet quality."

Listen To Blues Legend Bobby Bland Performing St James Infirmary:

Continue reading: R.I.P Bobby Bland: "The Lion Of The Blues" Singer Dies Aged 83

Awkward: Did Aretha Franklin Already Know The 'American Idol' Result?


Aretha Franklin American Idol Ryan Seacrest Candice Glover

Err, shooting into first place for the most awkward piece of television for 2013, it's Aretha Franklin telling everyone who won American Idolseason twelve before the result was officially announced! Appearing via satellite from New York for the season finale of Idol - which pitted Kree Harrison versus Candice Glover - Franklin appeared to spoil the result, saying, "Candice, you're a winner," from a huge screen in the Nokia Theater.

The audience were confused - had Aretha just told everyone who had won? Candice fans cheered, Kree fans fell silent. After an excruciating pause, the Queen of Soul added, "Win or lose - you're a winner," - which makes absolutely no sense to anyone.

The whole car-crash led host Ryan Seacrest to nervously ask Franklin whether she had the results. "I do," Franklin answered, "but I won't tell you." But she did tell everyone. She told everyone that Candice Glover had won. Which is actually what she went on to do.

Continue reading: Awkward: Did Aretha Franklin Already Know The 'American Idol' Result?

Stars Have Their Say On Beyonce Miming The National Anthem...


Beyonce Knowles Aretha Franklin Jennifer Lopez

...Or not miming the national anthem, as we can't quite figure out whom to believe. 

Either way, Beyonce's fellow celebs have weighed in on the controversy, but first, some context: The U.S. Marine Band said in a statement on Tuesday that the musical accompaniment was pre-recorded, explaining that "there was no opportunity for Ms. Knowles-Carter to rehearse with the Marine Band before the Inauguration so it was determined that a live performance by the band was ill-advised for such a high-profile event."

They then backtracked on that saying in the statement that "regarding Ms. Knowles-Carter's vocal performance, no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded."

Continue reading: Stars Have Their Say On Beyonce Miming The National Anthem...

Beyonce Lip Sync Has Aretha Franklin "Cracking Up" With Laughter


Beyonce Knowles Aretha Franklin

Beyonce's lip sync throughout the Star Spangled Banner at President Obama's inauguration ceremony had one soul legend in tears, though not tears of joy. Frankly, we're not quite sure why Aretha Franklin was having a good old giggle, but she was. "When I heard the news this evening that she was pre-recorded I really laughed. I thought it was funny because the weather down there was about 46 or 44 degrees and for most singers that is just not good singing weather," she told ABC News.

Aretha - who performed at Obama's first inauguration in 2009 - maintained that Beyonce had done "a beautiful job," despite lip-synching, saying, "When I heard that I just really cracked up. I thought it was really funny, but she did a beautiful job with the pre-record." Soul legend Aretha - known to be one of President's all-time favourite artists - said she never thought of miming when she performed My Country Tis' Of Thee four years ago, saying, "'I wanted to give people the real thing and pre-recording never crossed my mind."

The controversy concerning Beyonce's lip-syncing began when a spokesman for the Marine Corps Band (who provided the musical accompaniment for the song) said that she did not sing in real time. Hours later, a Marine spokesman backed off the claim, insisting that he didn't know one way or another. 

Continue reading: Beyonce Lip Sync Has Aretha Franklin "Cracking Up" With Laughter

Grammys Week Tribute For Bruce Springsteen Features Neil Young, Mumford And Sons


Bruce Springsteen Elton John Mumford And Sons Jon Stewart Kenny Chesney Alabama Shakes Patti Smith Faith Hill Emmylou Harris Eddie Vedder Neil Young Tony Bennett Aretha Franklin Sir Paul McCartney Bono

All eyes will be on Bruce Springsteen during Grammy’s week, as the New Jersey rocker will be the recipient of the MusiCares Person of the Year award. To celebrate the honour, a Bruce Springsteen tribute concert will take place in Los Angeles on February 8, 2013, featuring some of the biggest names in rock and pop and hosted by Jon Stewart.

The event, which is already sold out, will feature musical highlights such as Elton John, Kenny Chesney and Mumford And Sons. A whole host of musicians of varying genres and eras have been included in the line-up. Patti Smith, with whom Bruce co-wrote the hit ‘Because The Night’ will be there, as will Faith Hill, Emmylou Harris, as well as Alabama Shakes, Eddie Vedder and Neil Young. Proceeds for the concert will go to MusiCares, an organisation set up to provide support for struggling musicians in financial, medical and personal need.

The annual MusiCares Person of the Year award is attributed to a star whose artistic accomplishments are as worthy of merit as their philanthropic work. Previous winners of the award include Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Paul McCartney and Bono.

Stars Come Out To Pay Tribute To Marvin Hamlisch


Marvin Hamlisch Barbra Streisand Aretha Franklin Michael Douglas Sarah Jessica Parker

The stars came out to pay tribute to the late American composer and conductor Marvin Hamlisch who passed away last month aged 68, with Barbara Streisand, Aretha Franklin and Liza Minelli appearing at a memorial service in tribute to the great music writer.

The BBC reports that the invite-only service was held at New York’s Juilliard School and saw Minelli perform If You Really Knew Me from the musical They’re Playing My Song whilst Franklin sung James Bond theme Nobody Does It Better. It was a fitting tribute to someone who won three Academy Awards, a Tony, four Grammys , four Emmys and a Pultizer Prize during their career.
The event was arranged by Streisand and she commented on Hamlisch's life by saying "Without explaining why or how, we understood each other’s anxieties," in reference to their shared Jewish heritage.

An audience that included Michael Douglas and Sarah Jessica Parker were treated to performances not just by three women who are among the finest voices in popular music history, but also three of Hamlisch’s closest friends, making it a wholly fitting evening. Minelli said that she’d known him since they were in their teens, whilst Franklin performed a version of the spiritual ballad Deep River in homage. The tribute also featured While I Still Have The Time - a song from his final musical, The Nutty Professor, which premiered in Nashville in August.


Video - Aretha Franklin And Paul Reubens Among The Screen And Singing Sensations Assembled - TV Land Awards Part 2


Aretha Franklin and her husband, William Wilkerson, were first to grace the red carpet at the annual event, now in it's tenth edition. Following on from the soul diva were the cast of TV series One Day At A Time, arriving one at a time but posing together on the carpet.

Bonnie Franklin, Pat Harrington Jr, Mackenzie Phillips and Glenn Scarpelli stood together, eventually followed onto the carpet by actor Paul Reubens. Reubens arrived in character as his most famous incarnation; Pee Wee Herman, from his popular TV show and the successful movie spin-off series

The Blues Brothers Review


Essential
The Blues Brothers has been re-released on DVD for its 25th anniversary. You've probably seen it countless times between its 1980 release and repeat airings on TV, so you know the basics. Still, here are 25 reminders why you have to see it again.

1) The music is great, coming from a legendary line-up of soul and blues artists: James Brown, Aretha Franklin, John Lee Hooker, Cab Calloway, and Ray Charles, whose performance of "Shake a Tail Feather" will get you dancing with the horde of extras onscreen.

Continue reading: The Blues Brothers Review

Aretha Franklin

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Aretha Franklin

Date of birth

25th March, 1942

Occupation

Musician

Sex

Female

Height

1.65






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Aretha Franklin Movies

Muscle Shoals Trailer

Muscle Shoals Trailer

When Rick Hall opened up his record studio FAME Studios in the small town of...

Muscle Shoals Trailer

Muscle Shoals Trailer

Muscle Shoals was just a town in Alabama with an extraordinary habit of producing some...

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