I'm a little worried about Aretha. I know she had said she was retiring but it seems her health has forced her to not perform. Hope she's okay.
All of these tributes to the Queen are wonderful and I know Jennifer Hudson is Ree's pick to tell her story. But whenever I hear this lady's voice, I hear the Queen.
https://youtu.be/f3qZWOgpnzY
I think Natalie comes close. Didn’t Lulu do the original of oh me oh my...? She really nails it!
I don't think Natalie ever sounded like the Queen, but their styles in the 70s were very similar, and Natalie definitely gave the Queen a run for the crown. Fontella Bass' "Rescue Me" still gets credited to Aretha Franklin by folks who don't know no better, but while I do feel like Fontella sounds quite a bit like Aretha on certain parts of the song, I don't think she ever sounds like Aretha on any other song I've heard Fontella sing. Now Margie Joseph is probably the voice I've heard that comes the closest to sounding like Aretha.
Hi!
For me Shirley Brown comes the closest -
http://www.soulexpress.net/shirleybrown.htm
Best regards
Heikki
I remember hearing the first few lines of RESCUE ME in an oldies ad and thinking it was an Aretha recording that I didn't know about. And Aretha probably confused more people when she sang RESCUE ME as "DELIVER ME" for a Pizza Hut ad. But I agree that I don't think Fontella sounds like Aretha on any other recording that I've heard.
I also agree that Margie Joseph came close, especially to that mid 70s Aretha sound. It probably helped that she had some of the same producers and musicians. I remember hearing Margie's LET'S STAY TOGETHER on the radio and thinking it was a new Aretha record. For years, I was baffled because I couldn't find this record. It wasn't until the 90s that I found out it was Margie.
Last edited by reese; 08-01-2018 at 10:17 AM.
When I started this post a few weeks ago, I had no idea that we would be saying goodbye to the QUEEN. This is proof that the music and legacy will live on forever.
Glen, I think it is starting to sink in to a lot of people. I've watched tributes to Aretha on the 3 main broadcast networks in Canada, tributes on the BBC and ITV out of the U.K., South Africa, Germany and Ghana to name a few. So many people sharing their remembrances of Aretha and how she affected their lives with her music. She started recording before I was born, so I never knew a time without Aretha and her music. From Grade school, my high school years, college, first jobs, graduate school, family gatherings, parties, getting ready for church on Sundays.........Aretha was always there! To say I will miss her would be an understatement!
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