RIP ARETHA FRANKLIN
The music world came to a standstill yesterday as the news broke that global icon Aretha Franklin had sadly passed away aged 76.
Franklin fell seriously ill earlier in the week, and passed yesterday.
Aretha Franklin wasn’t just a singer, she was THE singer. There are very few who even touched the sides in matching her abilities. The sheer mix of power, soul, emotion and just raw talent made her a constant class above the rest.
It is highly likely that we will never see a star with such a long, bountiful, nourishing and downright surprising career as hers ever again. The abundance of genuine self confidence in so many different stages of life and as many musical genres is never going to be missed greatly.
That self-confidence wasn’t evident only in the purses and perms and headdresses and floor-length furs; the buckets and buckets of great recordings; the famous demand that she always be paid before a show, in cash; or the Queen of Soul business — the stuff that keeps her monotonously synonymous with “diva.”
Many pop stars have great voices these days, but none match the power and ferociusness that Franklin delivered in her vocals was something that America had never seen before and the bar she set will out last us all.
We were and remain huge fans of Aretha Franklin here at Tribute Acts Management and we are devastated by her loss.
