RIP Queen Aretha

Aretha Franklin
1942 - 2018

A musical voice of her magnitude comes along even more rarely than "once in a lifetime." Aretha Franklin left our earthly plane a few days ago, but her voice will continue to rise as long as humans endure.

She took songs from those who wrote them and made them works of art. Stevie Wonder said his song "Until You Come Back to Me" instantly became Aretha's when she put her incredible voice to it. When I first heard her sing this in the early 70s, I didn't even realize it was Stevie's song; the difference between the performances was so vast. She was meant to sing every song she graced. Carole King wrote "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman," but the Queen of Soul's version was the masterpiece we all remember. "I Say A Little Prayer" was one of the first songs on the radio I sang along to as a child.

There are songs aplenty, but masterful performances are rare. Each time she sang, Aretha reached deep inside us and tugged upon our souls. Many times after hearing her, I was moved to tears at the sheer magnitude of her voice. On one occasion, she stepped in for operatic great Luciano Pavarotti, who became ill and could not perform. After hearing his rendition only once, she mesmerized the awestruck audience with her flawless performance of Nessun Dorma.

As we grow older, our great performers pass into eternity. We have a wonderful concert awaiting us when our time comes. The world mourns the "Amazing Grace" of Aretha Franklin's heavenly gift. Her soul has departed, but we lovingly retain the memory of her voice, which will never be silenced.

RIP, Aretha.