David Ritz reveals Aretha Franklin looked at Gladys and Diana as "rivals" in bio

[midnightman]

I just go ahead and just get this out of the way: Aretha felt Diana and Gladys were her competition for her "Queen of Soul" throne, according to David Ritz, which just confirms what they have said about Aretha all along. She also saw Barbra Streisand as a threat when she was signed to Columbia.

In David Ritz's new book on Aretha titled "Respect: The Secret Life of Aretha Franklin", it pretty much reveals most of what was an open secret: that Aretha has had a rough life pretty much: her mother abandoned her according to the biography despite Aretha's claims she didn't, she had her first child at 12 to Donald Burk, a boy she knew at school, and a second at 14, to a man named Edward Jordan, called a "player" by Aretha's brother Cecil. Her father was very promiscuous and according to Ray Charles, he said C. L.'s church included both sinners and saints apparently saying they had sex and weed orgies.

What we also know: Aretha suffered an abusive "marriage" to Ted White, who Ritz confirms Betty Wright's account that he was a pimp. She tried pretending the marriage was going well until they divorced in 1968. Aretha's marriage caused her to drink heavily and binge on food. She was so stone faced drunk one night that she made the stage and tumbled down breaking her arm. This caused her to escape from the studio from months on end. Aretha calmed down her alcohol intake by the mid-1970s according to the book but continued to suffer from binging on food.

Aretha would cancel concerts at the last minute or wouldn't show up at all and would be forced to pay gigs. Aretha dismissed Whitney Houston after they recorded their duet in 1989. She also fell out with Mavis Staples. Aretha got into it heavily with Luther Vandross. Whenever she wanted to quiet down stories of her wild lifestyle, she would usually call JET to make up stories about her. If she wasn't available, JET would make up the stories themselves. The book also hints that Aretha and Sam Cooke might've had a sexual encounter or two with Sam revealing that he liked more than Aretha's voice.

I wonder who has the book, can you reveal what was also revealed in the book?

[Bokiluis]

In a rare feat, Amazon is already out of stock on this page turner. Stories of Ted White physically abusing Aretha was not too well kept a secret. If Diana is the Queen of Motown [[now practically its own genre), Tina the Queen of Rock, Donna the Queen of Disco, the Queen of Pop, just as the king of pop remains a revolving title that Diana held at one point in the 70s...why couldn't Aretha accept being Queen of Soul and be proud? No matter how much she may have wanted, Aretha was never the Queen of Pop...that title alternated between Whitney, Mariah and Madonna in the late 80s and early 90s and now arguably belongs to Beyonce......of course, it is very subjective as there will no doubt be some that will Dispute all of it...but, the late Casey Kasem crowned Diana Queen of the Rock n Roll Era on one of his early 80s countdown shows utilizing her iconic HBO/SRO performance of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" for the music bed.
Still, both Aretha and Diana always seemed to speak warmly about each other in public. [[And unfortunately, there was truth to dissension from Aretha after Whitney flew to Detroit to record the ill-fated, "It Isn't, It Wasn't and It Ain't Never Gonna Be", Aretha was initially confronted by Whitney's Arista success though Whitney held her in reverence).

[midnightman]

Yeah from the articles I gather, she never really had negative thoughts about Diana. Just that she was "competition". Same thing with Barbra. But it seems it was more personal with the others [[Mavis, Gladys, etc.). The Whitney thing is sadder once you realize that that godmother story was PR. Aretha was an "honorary aunt" though, truth be told, she was never around Whitney much when Whitney was coming up. Aretha felt like she was the only female artist deserving of the term "queen" much like Michael Jackson thought he was one of the only male artists [[besides probably James Brown) to be deserving of the term "king".

[sansradio]

Interesting that Ritz has decided to pen his own Aretha bio after having ghosted for Ree's autobio. Given that the earlier book was a bit lackluster [[no doubt due to Miss Franklin's legendarily guarded nature), I eagerly await this one.

[jobeterob]

There are reviews of this on the Soulful Detroit Forum - nothing very flattering; but it is an exciting life, if nothing else. It probably offers an explanation about why Aretha Franklin goes off at the smallest things without a lot of reason ~ having a child at 12 would have a profound effect on any human being.

[midnightman]

I think if your mother leaves the family when you're barely 6, dies before you turn 10, you have a child at 12, you have a promiscuous father who also impregnated a preteen, your husband is an abusive pimp, yeah I'm sure you're gonna have mad issues too. Compared to Diana, Patti and Gladys, Aretha had it way rougher than the rest of them... I feel like she was sexually abused at 12 though... once that happens, you think you need sex for power. But I feel this woman's childhood was taken from her when she could barely walk and talk. Having a bad childhood can sometimes be a symbol of how your whole life turns out...

[Lulu]

None of this is NEW news but as midnightman stated, Aretha had it much rougher than her peers [[save for Tina) and was always a bit "off" when she was offstage. I think she kept so much of this bottled up that she just wasn't truly a happy person. Midnightman also talks about the impact of her childhood. Look at Michael, Dame Elizabeth, Judy, and countless other child stars who also had to "pass go" and become adults very very quickly. It's sad when you think about it and I'm just glad we still have Aretha and her incredible voice with us.

[Roberta75]

so shes difficult. its no like none of us didnt know Aretha was imperious and difficult and a bit messed up. She still puts out real good music and thats all she owe us at the end of the day.

I wont be buying this book.

Roberta

[jobeterob]

I think if your mother leaves the family when you're barely 6, dies before you turn 10, you have a child at 12, you have a promiscuous father who also impregnated a preteen, your husband is an abusive pimp, yeah I'm sure you're gonna have mad issues too. Compared to Diana, Patti and Gladys, Aretha had it way rougher than the rest of them... I feel like she was sexually abused at 12 though... once that happens, you think you need sex for power. But I feel this woman's childhood was taken from her when she could barely walk and talk. Having a bad childhood can sometimes be a symbol of how your whole life turns out...

Well written.

The poor woman.

[Lulu]

ALSO, let's be honest. We know how contentious the music biz can be. Can you blame Aretha for seeing Streisand as a threat? In terms of great voices, those two are neck and neck in my book for that generation albeit different styles.

Let's look at 1973-1975: Gladys and Roberta were HUGE. Aretha had hits here and there but that was the peak for those gals.

Flash forward to 1976-1979: Diana resurges as a disco diva and Natalie is making her mark. Both ladies cruise right into 1980 and it's really not until 1982 that Aretha checks back in with "Jump To It".

[jobeterob]

Who wouldn't be jealous of Diana in Lady Sings the Blues and the Oscar nomination? Who wouldn't be jealous of the success Whitney had with The Bodyguard.

These people are just human.

Aretha still had a great voice.

[midnightman]

Fun fact: Aretha once called Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards to collaborate with her on a disco album around 1979 but they said that her demands were too much and they decided not to give her the material they had written for her. Instead, they went with Diana for the "Diana" album in 1980. Aretha had to settle with Van McCoy for a "disco album" that flopped. That's why she ended up leaving for Arista.

[supremester]

I've always loved some Aretha classics - but I can't say I'm a fan of a lot of her catalog. I never really had much interest in seeing her live as everyone I knew said she stinks live - but I went anyway and found her to be engaging occasionally, boring for about a third of the show - but interestingly and obviously insecure - definitely worth a visit once every year or so. She is the Queen of Soul and completely clueless as to much of what goes on in her public persona. While I watch Miss Ross with glee and amazement at her prowess on stage, I watch Queen Ree with bewilderment and, of course, for those few minutes in the show when she gets into it. I will read this book. I want all the dirt. I had heard that CL was a total perv, but people say stuff they hear and you never know how true it is. Whatever, anyone who can be Queen Ree and say to Wendy Williams [[with a straight face) that she wants Halle Berry to play her in her bio pic, wears antlers on The Oscars, a tu tu in concert and a longline panty girdle on The Gammmys fascinates me.
PS Not everyone who ripens early [[sexually) is a victim. I was 11 and, although I had no idea what we were doing, it was a happy afternoon!

[jobeterob]

I've always loved some Aretha classics - but I can't say I'm a fan of a lot of her catalog. I never really had much interest in seeing her live as everyone I knew said she stinks live - but I went anyway and found her to be engaging occasionally, boring for about a third of the show - but interestingly and obviously insecure - definitely worth a visit once every year or so. She is the Queen of Soul and completely clueless as to much of what goes on in her public persona. While I watch Miss Ross with glee and amazement at her prowess on stage, I watch Queen Ree with bewilderment and, of course, for those few minutes in the show when she gets into it. I will read this book. I want all the dirt. I had heard that CL was a total perv, but people say stuff they hear and you never know how true it is. Whatever, anyone who can be Queen Ree and say to Wendy Williams [[with a straight face) that she wants Halle Berry to play her in her bio pic, wears antlers on The Oscars, a tu tu in concert and a longline panty girdle on The Gammmys fascinates me.
PS Not everyone who ripens early [[sexually) is a victim. I was 11 and, although I had no idea what we were doing, it was a happy afternoon!

Then it's Aretha and Gregg, not Gregg & Diana!

[midnightman]

^^ Actually if you google C.L. Franklin, supremester, a lot of dirt has been exposed on him.

*He was always cheating on his wives [[he had two; he married his first wife two years before he married Aretha's mom).
*He had a longtime relationship with gospel singer Clara Ward [[who was also bisexual).
*He was detained for cocaine possession in the '60s and also smoked weed daily.
*He had a daughter with a preteen girl who was the same age Aretha was when they both had children [[not the same years of course).
*C. L. didn't have any issues with homosexual men but kicked his daughter Carolyn out of his house after she said she was gay [[I got that from an Aretha fan on prince.org when I used to be a member).
*C. L. had a massive porn collection that was discovered after the June 10, 1979 incident where he was shot at his home.
*C. L. was reportedly abusive to Barbara Siggers.
*On that biography of him, it was said he would seek potential girlfriends and one night stands while preaching; apparently he had a huge harem of groupies following him during these church conventions.

[LuvHangOva]

I can't wait to get it. I'm still a little salty about her canceling two concerts more than a decade apart ... I was sooo excited to see Ree live after being a huge fan for years and disappointed [[very) when she cancelled just hours before both shows. Then years later I spent a couple of days writing and producing a commercial for her show in the city where I lived at the time... Worked my arse [[butt/booty/ass/buttocks)off to make it perfect in honor of a lady I had big time admiration for...charged less than normal for my services because I was so happy to be involved .... And....yup ...she cancelled AGAIN about 2 weeks before the show!!!! I still admire her talent greatly but I knew then there was "trouble in paradise"... So I will be more than happy to read facts and/or theories about what demons are/were responsible for the erratic behavior.

in contrast I've always been impressed with Miss Ross' concern for and attention to her own integriity: she flew to Radio City Music Hall from her dying mother's bedside nightly rather than cancel her shows AND gave a stunning performance the evening after the morning her father died.