Five Favourite Books• Created September 2, 2018 18:29
Five books in celebration of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin
I grew up in an unwittingly musical home. My mum loved to dance not so much my Dad. Even when she was quite ill and will go on and off a long medication which kept her in bed at least twice a week, Mrs. Josephine Hawawu Amodu was known to break into a dance whenever […]
I grew up in an unwittingly musical home. My mum loved to dance not so much my Dad. Even when she was quite ill and will go on and off a long medication which kept her in bed at least twice a week, Mrs. Josephine Hawawu Amodu was known to break into a dance whenever her health would permit. Her musical taste varied and she introduced me to the songs of the legendary Nigerian theatre giant, Hubert Ogunde and the musical geniuses from her home state Okene. She also reveled in the great jazz musicians of the past, Stevie Wonder and the great Louis Armstrong. She also listened a great deal to Jim Reeves and the soulful ballads of many African American musicians like Otis Redding and the more dramatic James Brown. Add that to Nigeria’s IK Dairo and add her high life loves which included Joe Nez Osita Osadebey and Rex Lawson. There was the occasional Fela and Bobby Benson. My mother’s musical interest was eclectic. My father in the meantime dutifully provided the musical instruments and tools for us to play our records buying any new music player in the seventies from America, an eight track player and recorder which he brought home in 1974 after his studies. By now my own musical influences and interests were growing. I could not sing that well neither could my mum, but it was hard to find her not singing in the kitchen or in the bathroom. The death of Aretha Franklin touched me in a very special way for she was always famously crooning in our living room when I was growing up or from my mother’s set in her room. I grew very fond of what has become my favorite Aretha Franklin’s song to date. “I say a little prayer for you.” A ballad of earth moving proportions. Aretha Franklin made the song her oyster and drove us all to tears. Beautiful, ethereal, heavenly, she brought the house down every time she picked it up, singing it as recent as at Elton John’s charity concert even though one could see that she had lost so much weight and was already ailing. Although she suffered personal hardships, sorrows and tragedies, Aretha remained one of America’s iconic gifts to the world. A multiple diva at all times who cared about her looks and was described as a very kind woman whose faith was unflappable. As her nation, friends, family and fans honor her, I join millions of people around the world to salute her persona and her musical legacy and to say what warmth you brought into our home every time you belted out your tunes. May your gentle soul rest in peace Amen. Here are five books in celebration of the unmatched and classical Aretha Franklin.
1) Leading the pack is Penguin books “Who is” collection and Aretha Franklin is featured in Who is Aretha Franklin, a beautifully illustrated book written by Nico Medina. It chronicles Aretha’s life from when she was born and how the church on Hastings street, Detroit Michigan became the place where her career started. Her Father, the Reverend CL Franklin was a minister in the church where Aretha first sang her first solo as a ten-year-old in 1952. Having recently lost her mum, she belted out her first solo with the soulful singing for which she came to be known. A truly historic book with beautiful drawings. Highly recommended.
2)Respect: The life of Aretha Franklin by David Ritz. A biographer, Co-Author and ghost writer to many stars, Dave who had previously written the biography of Aretha Franklin,” Aretha, From these roots “in 1999 now wrote an unauthorized version which he felt obliged to write because according to him there were gaps in the autobiography which he had helped Aretha Franklin write. This book was neither approved by Aretha Franklin nor did she cooperate for the book. The author depended on his trove of interviews with other stars he had interviewed and had interviews with her sisters and cousins and her former managers. The many stories Ritz told in this book include her very painful past which influenced her haunting voice and information about her life becoming a Mum at 12 years of age and then twice a mum at 15. Aretha was a very private woman who did not discuss her family. She never acknowledged this second book by Ritz describing it as “trashy”
3)A Natural Woman by Carole King. This book written by one of America’s most accomplished music writers and a hit making writer and musician herself is titled after Aretha’s groundbreaking song,” You make me a natural woman” written by Carole King. This song which brought both king and Franklin so much more fame has been etched in history for all times. Watching Aretha perform it and drive Obama to tears in a you tube video and watching King in the stands completely lose it as the song she sang is delivered with such greatness by Aretha King is what mesmerizing videos are made of. In this book, here recommended, King talks about growing up in Brooklyn, her three marriages and how she could not believe that her third marriage had been abused and her disbelief in remaining in the marriage for so long. In Aretha’s relationships there was also abuse. King’s book talks about how her industry gave her joy and fame and her amazing no. 1 album “Tapestry” which remained in the charts for 50 weeks eclipsing The Beatles. This is an important book about one of Aretha’s more famous song writers and how she became well known not just by her voice but by the geniuses who wrote the songs she brought so amazingly to life.
4)American Legends; The life of Aretha Franklin includes pictures, quotes and a bibliography for further reading. First published earlier in the year, Aretha is quoted famously in this book “Being the queen is not all about singing and being a diva is not all about singing…” Well, Well.
5)Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul written by Mark Bego is a must read. The author, just as many others have written about her talks about how private she kept her life.” There are very few singing stars who could get away with such a small degree of personal exposure and still retain their popularity” notes Bego. Reviewers have described Bego’s book as more stories about her recordings than about Ms. Franklin’s life and those he managed to interview gave out nothing revealing. Incredible.
Bonus books:
Respect: The Life and Times of Aretha Franklin. This book tells the story of the legendary singer and describes her as not necessarily groundbreaking but someone who did what she does better and longer. The author also added that although she had her first major label recording when President Dwight Eisenhower was in the white house, she only got to perform at the inauguration of Barrack Obama. The author also gave information on her awards and wins including, 39 studio albums,20 no 1 Rand B singles, 44 Grammy nominations and 18 wins. Incredible!
Until you come back to me (that’s what I am gonna do) Digital sheet music by Aretha Franklin, Clarence O., Paul Morris, Broadmax and Stevie Wonder. Performed by Aretha Franklin. Time to get a collection of the Queen’s published works.
