Myriad Muzik

Aretha Franklin

Today in Music History: The Motortown Revue 1962

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Today, 56 years ago, the first night of a two month Motown Records package tour, The Motortown Revue, started in Washington, DC. Early 1960 tours included performances from Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Marvelettes, Mary Wells, Barrett Strong and The Contours as headlining acts. Some of the then-second-tier artists who were given the chance to improve their skills included Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes and The Temptations. Occasionally, even non-Motown performers such as Otis Redding, Dusty Springfield, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, The Shirelles and Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles were featured on the tours. In the early years of the Motortown Revue, most venues were situated along the “chitlin circuit” in eastern and southern America. Racism at the time, was an issue and African American performers faced threats and attacks from local white residents. Later tours from the mid 60’s branched out to the entire US and later the rest of the world as well.

 

Stevie Wonder’s Performance on Franklin’s Funeral

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Stevie Wonder was quoted saying, without God’s goodness,” “We will have never known a Queen like this, we will have never known the joy she gave to us”, after he closed out Aretha Franklin’s funeral with “The Lord’s Prayer” and “As” at Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple. Wonder opened his performance with a harmonica version of “The Lord’s Prayer” before delivering his eulogy. He further mentioned his hopes of one day collaborating with Franklin in heaven before launching into the Songs in the Key of Life favourite, with Wonder backed by the choir, brass section and other performers from the service to close out the funeral. “She did incredible music, incredible singer. She touched every genre. Every singer was influenced in some way by the way she sang, and they will forever be influenced by her because of her voice, her emotion, her sincerity is unforgettable”, Wonder stated previously the day after the singer’s passing. Jennifer Hudson, Chaka Khan and Ariana Grande were among the singers who paid musical tribute to the artist.

 

A Tribute to Aretha Franklin, November 2018

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A concert, in honour of Aretha Franklin, can be expected to take place this fall and stars are already being lined-up. The Queen of Soul is said to be seriously ill at her home in Detroit. Clive Davis, who signed the artist to Arista Records in 1980, is organising the event that will be taking place this November at Madison Square Garden. No further details regarding the event have been released yet, but Davis stated that fans can expect covers of the star’s hits including Say a Little Prayer, Think and You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman and R.E.S.P.E.C.T. The lineup is still under wraps for the moment. Gwendolyn Quinn, Franklin’s publicist, told Associated Press that the artist has been visited by friends including Stevie Wonder, US activist Reverend Jesse Jackson and her ex-husband, actor Glynn Turman. Others, including Rod Stewart, Mariah Carey, Chaka Khan, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tyler Perry and Missy Elliott have all posted their wishes on social media and Beyonce and Jay-Z dedicated their Detroit show on Monday to the singer. Franklin is surrounded by her family who sends their appreciation for all the love and support they have received.

The star, who is Rolling Stone’s Greatest Singer of All Time, had to cancel her tour dates this past spring after her doctor advised her to take a few months off. Earlier this year she announced that she intended to retire from touring completely.