Aretha Franklin Grammy Tribute Burnishes The Queen of Soul’s Legend

(Photo by Robert Abbott Sengstacke/Getty Images) –
Queenly: Aretha Franklln playing piano during a concert at Chicago Cook County Jail, circa 1970s.

Aretha Franklin’s passing this past August at the age of 76 left a gaping hole in the hearts of many and brought to the fore the singular talents of this music legend in her own time. Her transcendent voice could melt titanium and stop time and when combined with her brilliant musicianship, her sublime sound transcended any Queen of Soul appellation (she was also royalty of gospel, pop, R&B and more) making her nothing less than a music icon for the ages.

The Queen Of Soul’s Greatest Live Hits: An Aretha Appreciation

“There will never ever be another Aretha Franklin,” said an emotive Clive Davis, the famed music industry veteran whose Arista Records was Franklin’s label home between 1980 and 2007. This he said from the stage of the Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium on Sunday night (Jan. 13) before a packed house gathered for the Recording Academy’s “Aretha: A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul.” The lavish production helmed by Ken Ehrlich, along with AEG Ehrlich Ventures, the Academy and Davis himself, will air March 10 on CBS (much as similar Ehrlich and the Recording Academy tributes to Stevie Wonder, the Beatles and Frank Sinatra have).

Davis went on to note Aretha’s “indelible influence,” her “magnitude of inspiration” and voice for “the ages.” While these accolades and more are indisputable, nothing may have better illustrated them than the cavalcade of supremely talented artists who on this night paid tribute to Aretha. This included veteran luminaries Patti LaBelle, Shirley Caesar, Yolanda Adams and Celine Dion, mid-career superstars Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson, Brandi Carlisle and Janelle Monae as well a younger generation of rising stars, including SZA, Alessia Cara, H.E.R., and Chloe x Halle who came to pay R-E-S-P-E-C-T and perform in tribute.

While trying to hold a candle to a GOAT (greatest of all-time) artist is an unenviable task, many of the evening’s stand-out performances came close. This included Dion’s impressive rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” (which Aretha covered);  H.E.R.’s interpolation of “Say A Little Prayer” with innovative guitar phrasings and multi-octave vocals; gospel star Yolanda Adam’s foot-stomping duet with Common on Nina Simone’s “Young, Gifted and Black;” and Alessia Cara’s gorgeous take on “Until You Come Back To Me.”

One of the evening’s most moving moments came from Franklin’s lifelong friend Smokey Robinson who reminisced about growing up with his Detroit neighbor, the future Queen of Soul, whom he recalled winning every talent contest she ever entered. He lamented never having recorded with Aretha, but fondly remembered the many times they performed together live.

Interspersed throughout the evening were a series of transfixing videos clips of the queen herself, showcasing her powerful talents. This included two gorgeous versions of “Natural Woman,” one from 1993 with Bonnie Raitt and Gloria Estefan and another performed more recently at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors for Carole King (which famously brought President Barack Obama to tears); vintage 1960s footage of her singing a stirring rendition of “Say a Little Prayer;” a campy clip from the 1986 film “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” with the Rolling Stones and Aretha clad in a glammed-out ’80s new wave fashion; and a stunning duet with Ray Charles on “It Takes Two to Tango.”

These clips are now primary source documentation of Franklin’s brilliance and peerless talents and proof positive that this one woman force of nature and her supreme artistry were both revelatory and an apotheosis.

The Recording Academy’s “Aretha: A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul,” airs March 10 on CBS from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT.

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