Pictured: Aretha singing at Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration. Her hat got about as much press as her performance. Aretha, like her father, was a die-hard Democrat and like a lot of us who were hopelessly naive, saw Obama’s inauguration as the possible beginning of a … Continue reading Aretha Franklin (final of 4) – Amazing Grace
We all require and want respect, man or woman, black or white. It’s our basic human right.” – Aretha Franklin. Otis Redding wrote and released “Respect” in the summer of 1965. It had some level of success (Top Five on Billboard’s Black Singles Chart, and crossed over … Continue reading Aretha Franklin (Part 3) – Respect
Wikipedia: The now-defunct Regal Theater in Chicago was part of the so-called “chitlin circuit,” that “provided commercial and cultural acceptance for African-American musicians, comedians, and other entertainers during the era of racial segregation in the United States (from at least the early 19th century through the 1960s.) Sometime in … Continue reading Aretha Franklin (Part 2) – The Queen of Soul
Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul,” died on August 16, 2018 at the age of 76. This is her story. If you think know Aretha, you probably don’t. Read on. I think that, to make sense of Aretha – “Ree” to her friends and family … Continue reading Aretha Franklin – (Part 1) The Sacred and the Profane
So a while back I started reading that the Cabot Theater in Beverly MA – a somewhat artsy town north of Boston – was going to have a night of tribute to Bessie Smith. (We saw Los Lobos here not too long ago.) I looked … Continue reading Bessie Smith – (Part 2) – The Greatest Blues Singer in the World Will Never Stop Singing
“The best gig was working with Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions. He was a really good guitarist!…… I learned quite a lot in that short time. He probably influenced me more than anyone I’d ever played with up to that time, that sweet sound of his, you know.” … Continue reading Curtis Mayfield – Super Fly – (final of 2)
The Impressions are an R&B, soul and gospel group whose roots go all the way back to 1958. They actually started out as a group called the Roosters and then became Jerry Butler and the Impressions. Their first hit was a song called “For Your … Continue reading Curtis Mayfield – People Get Ready – (1 of 2)
