Aretha roars back and gets R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Ebony, August, 1998 by Lynn Norment

ALL she ever wanted, as she said in the glory years of the '60s, as she said in the shadow years of income tax problems, failed affairs of the heart and hosannas for new divas, was R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

The song in which she announced this demand became a personal and collective anthem not only for Aretha Franklin but for everybody living in the shadows, for abused and undervalued Sisters as well as undervalued Brothers, for women and men of all races who wanted, needed, had to have respect.

Just a little bit.

It is no surprise therefore that the song and the sentiment follows Aretha Franklin like a spotlight as she roars back in 1998, gaining new respect and re-establishing herself as the queen of the realm. In a series of personal triumphs that reminded fans of her years of glory, she dominated a concert of pop divas and scored a major personal success at the Grammys, where she substituted for Luciano Pavarotti and stunned the audience with a virtuoso performance of "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's Turandot. Riding the wave of a second-career high, she went on to show younger divas how it is done with a major role in Blues Brothers 2000 and a best-selling CD, A Rose Is Still A Rose, which went gold and pushed on toward the platinum level. Many of her loyal fans feel that this recording, the 49th of her illustrious career, is among the best ever. It is Aretha's first new studio recording since 1991, the same year she was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

The grand result of all this was one of the greatest entertainment stories of the year and a well-deserved return to the top by one of the most distinctive voices in entertainment.

From the '60s--when Aretha quit high school to go on the road with her father, the late Rev. C. L. Franklin, a renowned minister and gospel singer--she has been famous for her distinctive voice and passionate delivery. Nobody can wrap his/her heart and lungs around a song like Aretha does on "Respect," "Ain't No Way," "A Natural Woman," "Call Me," "Dr. Feel-Good."

"To sing a song," she says, "I must find meaning in the lyric. And of course I must feel the groove."

Generations of music lovers have been grooving to Aretha's rhythms. Mothers and fathers who grew up with her in the '60s are now sharing the legendary diva's music with their own daughters and sons. Fans, young and old, were proud to see the Queen receive the Kennedy Center Honor in 1994, and they were overjoyed to see her become the first female inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Many recall how Aretha, draped in fur, sang during inaugural festivities for President Clinton. But long before that, she sang at the funerals of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahalia Jackson, and more recently she sang at the funeral of longtime Detroit Mayor Coleman Young. She was such a hit in the 1980 Blues Brothers movie that the director asked her to return for a performance in this year's sequel, Blues Brothers 2000.

The Queen of Soul wants to do more movies, she says, and her name repeatedly comes up for possibly portraying gospel legend Mahalia Jackson and blues legend Bessie Smith in movie projects. Word in Hollywood is that a network has offered her megabucks to do a special, and she's finishing her much-anticipated autobiography, in which she jokingly--or maybe not--has said she will "dish the dirt" and "set the record straight."

Having experienced more than her share of pain and triumph throughout her 40 years in show business, there is no doubt that Aretha has stories to tell. She has four sons, the first and second of whom were born when she was 15 and 17, and she's had two husbands--Ted White, whom she married when she was 19 and the father of one of her sons, and the actor Glynn Turman. Over the years, she says, she has been in love and engaged a number of times, but she acknowledges much heartbreak and disappointment as well. On numerous occasions she has been escorted to high-profile events by handsome men. And the robust entertainer, who openly acknowledges her battle with weight, once said her diet secret is "a combination of SlimFast and younger men." These days she is radiant with the glow of love, but she is reluctant to identify the object of her affection. "He's a curie. He's not in the industry," she says. Word is that he is a "tall version of Bryant Gumbel."

This is a great time in the life of this great woman, great singer, great American icon and national treasure. She continues to be down-to-earth, passionate, direct and humorous. She continues to be loved and revered and respected for being herself. And she continues to make outstanding music that only Aretha can make.

A rose is still a rose.

And Aretha is still Aretha.