Remembering Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin died at 76 of pancreatic cancer on August 16th. The Queen of Soul was one of the most influential American singers, known for her R&B, soul, and gospel stylings and her impact as a symbol of black pride and women’s liberation.
To read more about her life, click here.
You can hear Jerry Wexler talking about his work with Aretha Franklin, Ray and Jimmy Johnson speaking about Aretha’s influence on the Muscle Shoals’ sound, her father speaking about her and the church, and a clip from Aretha herself about working with Sam Cooke in our archives.