Tag Archives: aretha franklin
Dan Penn (1995)
Dan Penn is far from famous, but most everyone – at least most everyone of a certain age – knows his work. Penn produced the Box Tops’ immortal “The Letter” and co-wrote a clutch of stone soul classics (“Dark End of the Street,” “Do Right Woman,” “I’m Your Puppet,” “Cry Like A Baby,” “Sweet Inspiration,” “You Left the Water Running”) covered by a lengthy list of artists including Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, Solomon Burke, Dolly Parton, Etta James, Ry Cooder, Barbra Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, the Flying Burrito Brothers and on and on; his list of credits on All Music Guide runs to 1,262 entries and no doubt there’s plenty missing.
However much a behind-the-scenes player, Penn is a legend among one subset of music aficionados: Southern soul fans.
Aretha Franklin (1995)
Aretha Franklin hates the new biography about her, “Respect” by David Ritz. She’s condemned it: “a very trashy book…full of lies and more lies about me.”
I didn’t hate it. It’s the best book yet about the Queen of Soul. That said, I’m kind of sorry I read it. Aretha comes off not as a bad person, just a not very likable one.
Aretha Franklin
October 9, 2013
I came across the YouTube clip below the other day and seeing the young, Afro-ed Aretha Franklin brought back a happy memory: seeing the Queen of Soul in concert for the first time.
