Aretha 101: Celebrating the Queen of Soul

William McKeen
William McKeen
Boston University

William McKeen is theย Chair ofย the Department of Journalism at Boston University, where he also teaches media history, literary journalism, and rockย โ€˜nโ€™ย roll history.ย  He is theย author or editor of 13 books, includingย Everybody Had an Ocean,ย Too Old to Die Youngย andย Rock and Roll is Here to Stay.ย 

 

Overview

June 13, 2022, 4:00 pm

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Aretha Franklinโ€™s voice was a gift from God, so it’s appropriate that she grew up singing in her father’s church. Her talent was too great to be kept secret, so as a young woman, she was signed to Columbia Records by John Hammond. What could go wrong? Hammond was the force behind Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith, Benny Goodman and — eventually — Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Butย lotsย went wrong. Aretha Franklin’s recordings for industry giant Columbia Records were …ย OK. After her five-year contract expired, Jerry Wexler pounced. Wexler was with independent label Atlantic Records. He had the genius idea of taking Aretha Franklin south, to a small studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. On an afternoon in 1966, her direction — and the direction of popular music — was forever changed. And then Aretha disappeared.

 

Discussion Questions:

1.)ย ย ย ย How did Jerry Wexler succeed with Aretha Franklin and why did John Hammond fail?

2.)ย ย ย ย What was the key element in the Muscle Shoals studio that made Franklin comfortable?

 

 

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