Unraveling the Legend of Aretha Franklin
Rob Reinhart shares some of the most fascinating facts he learned about the Queen of Soul’s career.
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Last week, Detroit and the world mourned the passing of soul-singer Aretha Franklin. She was 76.
Over the weekend, WDET music-show hosts paid tribute to Franklin.
Rob Reinhart, the host of Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, shares some of the most interesting information he learned about the Queen of Soul while doing research for his show.
Aretha Franklin is the only woman to ever chart 100 singles on the billboard charts.
Her first song to chart was “Today I Sing the Blues” in 1960.
54 years later, Franklin’s 100th chart single was a cover of Adele’s song, “Rolling in the Deep,” in 2014.
The Queen of Soul has been referenced in songs from all types of genres. Her songs have also been sampled many times.
Franklin’s “Spirit in the Dark” from 1970 was used by Kanye West’s “School Spirit” in 2004. Other artists to sample Franklin include Mos Def, Rapsody, Outkast, Slum Village, and many more.
In 1985, the state of Michigan declared Aretha Franklin’s voice a natural resource.
