Aretha Franklin Is Retiring
At 74, the Queen of Soul has decided to take it a little easier.
Aretha Franklin is planning to retire this year, she told Detroit TV station WDIV Local 4, the city's NBC affiliate. The singer says she will make one more album, with several tracks produced by Stevie Wonder, and will otherwise limit herself to "some select things, maybe one a month, for six months out of the year" as she devotes more time to her grandchildren. She also says 2017 will be her "last year in concert."
"''This will be my last year," Franklin said. "I will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert. This is it."
On Thursday, a representative for Franklin confirmed her remarks made to WDIV.
Franklin, whose many hits include Respect and Think , added that she did not want to do "just nothing." But she said that she is otherwise "very satisfied" with her career and is ready to step back. She has had health problems in recent years, including surgery in 2010 for undisclosed reasons that left many fearing her life was in danger.
"I feel very, very enriched and satisfied with respect to where my career came from, and where it is now," Franklin said.
Her presumed last album would be a kind of homecoming. Franklin and Wonder, a fellow Detroit hero, have known each other for decades. In the 1970s, she had a hit with a cover of Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) , which Wonder helped write.
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I have not personally been that much of an Aretha Franklin fan, she's too gospel tinged for my taste, but I recognize that some people consider her the greatest female singer of all time.
The Rolling Stone list of 100 greatest singers has her at the top, man or woman
"You know a force from heaven. You know something that God made. And Aretha is a gift from God. When it comes to expressing yourself through song, there is no one who can touch her. She is the reason why women want to sing.
Aretha has everything — the power, the technique. She is honest with everything she says. Everything she's thinking or dealing with is all in the music, from "Chain of Fools" to "Respect" to her live performances. And she has total confidence; she does not waver at all. I think her gospel base brings that confidence, because in gospel they do not play around — they're all about chops, who has the vocal runs. This is no game to her."
Sorry to hear that she is retiring. I love some of your songs.
I'll admit it.
My strongest memory of Aretha comes from the "Blues Brothers" movie.
Off subject side note.
Had the great privilege of catching Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi come through Dallas as "The Blues Brothers" live, back in the late 70's.
It was an amazing night of top shelf blues, mostly from "Briefcase Full of Blues" LP.
Watching Belushi doing back handsprings across the stage, as he entered stage left, was a hoot and a pure adrenaline rush to start off the show.
Wish I could have seen that AH.
One of my favorite movies is the ''Blues Brothers''.
Mine too. The amazing cast of characters including Ms. Franklin set a new standard for comedy in movies, with the pleasure of music mixed in.
I wish her well in her retirement!
I know that she hasn't been in the greatest of health lately, and she has certainly earned her retirement, but I'm sure going to miss her! She has always been great! Aretha Franklin-- You Made Me Feel Like a Natural Woman