Aretha Franklin
Franklin’s music and civil rights involvement cannot be
separated for it was through music, which Franklin was able to reach out to so
many and empower those who had felt so long oppressed. Aretha Franklin first became connected with
the civil rights movement through her father, Reverend C.L. Franklin. Rev.
Franklin was an influential preacher who traveled the country as well as
recorded a weekly sermon for the radio station, WLAC, which reached sixty-five
percent of the African-American population. It was these same tours that Aretha
would begin her singing career. Rev. Franklin would also introduce Aretha to
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. starting a lifelong friendship between the two. Franklin was not actively heading
demonstrations or participating in sit-ins, but she was able to do her part and
use her talent to help the movement. She would numerous times perform at
rallies with the King, lending her voice and fame to pull in crowds. Her own sense of pride and her dignified
stance, she represented the new black woman of the late 1960s. Franklin’s own sound and present were enough
to reflect the ideas of the movement and were what caused her to become a
notable figure in the cause.
It was Franklin's soulful sound, which would
become the driving anthem of the civil rights movement or as poet Nikki
Giovanni, who
is also a Fiskite, put it “the voice
of the civil rights movement, the voice of the black America".
In 2008,
Franklin was honored as MusiCares "Person of the Year", two days
prior to the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, where she was awarded her 18th career
Grammy. Franklin was personally asked by then newly-elected President Barack
Obama to perform at his inauguration singing "My Country 'tis of
Thee". In 2010, Franklin received an honorary music degree from Yale
University.
In
1966, 24 year-old Aretha Franklin struggled at Columbia Records. Had she quit
searching for a better fit, her career could have been over. That same year,
she went to Atlantic and found not only success, but her true voice. Columbia,
which couldn't decide to truly believe in her or her music, conveniently began
releasing (and continues to release) her music from its vaults after her
success at Atlantic.
Lesson: DON'T GIVE UP! YOUR VOICE MAY BE THE VOICE
OF THE CENTURY!
In 2008,
Franklin was honored as MusiCares "Person of the Year", two days
prior to the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, where she was awarded her 18th career
Grammy. Franklin was personally asked by then newly-elected President Barack
Obama to perform at his inauguration singing "My Country 'tis of
Thee". In 2010, Franklin received an honorary music degree from Yale
University.
4 comments:
She needs to put some clothes on and stop showing off those massive chesticles of hers.
chesticles - you are truly a donkey.
Aretha Franklin, a living legend. My aunt in Milwaukee used to be crazy about her some Aretha. Interestingly enough, judging by the sofa photo, I had no idea she was as attractive as she were once upon a time.
I thought all of these black and white photos show her well. I love the one on the sofa. It's kind of dope.
once upon a time huh? lol. wish i could seen your face as you said that.
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