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In 2011, Rolling Stone listed Aretha Franklin as the No. 1 Greatest Singer of All Time, an honor that was long overdue in the eyes of her fans. Since she first hit the scene more than 40 years ago, she has been considered a legend and the living embodiment of soul music. Franklin’s musical and performance style combines a belty, powerhouse, mezzo-soprano sound with a charismatic, almost evangelistic interpretive style reminiscent of James Brown. In fact, she and Brown arguably created this deeply soul-stirring style, which is considered the essential signature sound of R&B. This, combined with an uncanny ability to find songs that suit her voice to perfection, has made her one of those unforgettable, once-in-a-generation singers.
Franklin’s soul and gospel roots came from a childhood spent singing in her father’s church. By the time she was 18, she was singing for Columbia Records, but it wasn’t until seven years later in 1967, that she hit the charts with “Respect,” “Natural Woman” and “Think.” By the 1960s, she was being dubbed “The Queen of Soul” and throughout the next four decades, Franklin stayed at the top of the profession, with scores of No. 1 singles and a veritable cabinet full of Grammy Awards. In 2012, Legacy Recordings celebrated Franklin’s 70th birthday with “Knew You Were Waiting: The Best of Aretha Franklin 1980-1998.” The album featured 15 of her mega-hits, including duets with Annie Lennox, Elton John, Whitney Houston and others. In recent years, Franklin has had to curtail her tour dates due to health problems. Ticket holders fortunate enough to have seen her in concert say that it’s one of the all-time great musical experiences, so it’s a safe bet that once she gets back to the performing arena, she’ll be singing once again to sold out crowds.
Aretha put on a great show. She had my 87 year old mother dancing in her seat. I was disappointed that the stage did not revolve though. We looked at her left ear for most of the night, but we still had a great experience.
How lucky we were to see this American treasure in such a small venue! She has maintained her wonderful voice and spirit. She sang many old tunes. I was very impressed that when she took a very brief break she did her own primping. The orchestra was fabulous!!!! The backup singers were wonderful! What a marvelous gathering of talent!! Thank you.❤️
Aretha is amazing. Her voice is still so powerful. So happy to have a chance to see her in concert. She has a wonderful Wind Ensemble, back up singers & dancers.
First time ever seeing the "Queen of Soul"- The best of the best, voice was like listening to a recording. Piano playing was a treat, and I fell in love with the orchestra director & the orchestra. Back-up singers fantastic and dancers entertaining. Well worth the raindrops!
I've been a fan of Aretha Franklin for many years, and had tickets to a show a few months ago that was cancelled due to health issues. I am so grateful that she was able to perform this time, and she was amazing! You would never guess her age or health issues based on this performance. Her stage presence is wonderful, the band was great. Her voice is beautiful. The backup dancers were also fabulous. The venue is also really nice (NYCB Westbury). It is small and intimate, and the stage is round so the audience completely surrounds the performers. The performers walked right by us on the way to and from the stage. An unforgettable experience!
NYCB Theatre at Westbury is a theater in the round which means the stage is circular and the audience is on all sides of the stage. Normally the stage slowly rotates so that the whole audience takes turns seeing the performer. For this performance the stage did not rotate. She seemed frail so this may be the reason why but the audience was not forewarned of this prior to buying the tickets or the actual performance. Not only did the stage not rotate but Ms. Franklin faced only 1 side of the audience for 95% of the show which meant we spent a lot of $ to just see the back of her head. While her voice was still great we could have stayed home and listened to her CD instead of spending a lot of $ to see the back of her head!
Sadly, Aretha is getting on in years and although she can still belt them out she seemed a bit out of it. She needed assistance getting down the aisle and those who know Westbury know it's a theatre in the round and Aretha played to just one section, the rest of us saw the back of her head through much of the concert.
We love hearing Aretha, but her back was to us 95 % or more of the time. If the stage was not revolving, then she should have been instructed to occasionally turn 1`/4 turns to complete the circle of being in the round. My friend who made the trip out to me in the pouring rain from Manhattan was disappointed. She may be used to performing on a regular stage with all the audience in front of her, but this was concert in the round. We paid a good price for our tickets. The orchestra was really cooking, superb sound, tops, excellent conductor.
She sounded great and looked wonderful. Great orchestra, backup singers and dancers. I would have liked the show a little longer. I missed hearing Natiral Woman
During the performance she stated that she would not be touring in the future. So I am so glad that I had the opportunity to listen to this legend one last time. Age is beginning to catch up with her but she can still belt out the tunes albeit somewhat slower. If you have the opportunity to see her do so quickly.
Loved seeing the Queen of Soul and she sounded great. Her orchestra was also terrific. She wasnt feeling well though and the concert was very short and included her taking a break. It was also disappointing that the stage didnt rotate as it usually does.
This was an enjoyable show for this stage of Aretha Franklin's career. At 75, she is not going to sound as she did in the 1960s. She compensates to some extent by relying more heavily on her nearly 60 years of performing experience in popular music and show business. Clearly, she knows what will go over with the public (dropping the fur on the stage at the outset and kicking off her shoes during the gospel feature). I particularly enjoyed "Skylark," which she sang to great effect in the early 1960s, "A Brand New Me" (always great to hear Aretha play piano for herself even if the tempo seems a bit too fast for her current vocal abilities), and "Believe in Yourself," which was downright inspirational. If one wanted just her hits, the show was hit-and-miss (glad to hear "Baby I Love You" and "Day Dreaming"). "A Natural Woman" would have benefited from her playing piano as she did at the Kennedy Center in 2015. She seemed tired by the end of the concert (a sing-along with the audience on "Freeway of Love" and "Respect," the first encore).. Somehow, Aretha marshaled her energy to provide a truly memorable version of "Believe in Yourself" from "The Wiz" as the second and closing encore. This song summed up the show and seemingly her entire career. The message was unmistakable: "I believed in myself and achieved my dream of a major career in mainstream popular music. Believe in yourself and you can achieve your dreams, too." (If you doubt this, consider the closing fanfare for Aretha's departure from the stage: "There's No Business Like Show Business.") Despite her diminished vocal abilities, Aretha can still express the deepest human emotion on a level that few singers can match. I got goosebumps from "Believe in Yourself," and I've seen hundreds of shows and Aretha six other times in the past 30 years. A memorable moment that made the entire show worthwhile.
I was a bit concerned with Ms. Franklin's health. She mentioned that she had been suffering from a viral infection. They had an easy chair on stage for her to sit in, if needed (she did for one number). She left the stage after a few songs, during which she was not singing at her full capability. She clearly anticipated this and had another act to take over. But, she came back and gave a long, outstanding show, pushing herself and her band/singers into some amazing territory. Really a generous performer with fantastic voice, even at her age. She had problems with her feet, but eventually kicked off her shoes. This helped. Seems to have thrown her back out leaving the stage after the encore. Hope she is all right. SEE HER NOW. She's retiring soon.
Even though Ms. Franklin has had some health issues, which are not fully resolved, she sang, she played piano and she "brought the songs"; the way we all remember them! I enjoyed hearing those special things in her voice that helped cement the foundation of the genre we call "soul music". Thank you Ms. Franklin for an enjoyable and memorable evening!
There was magic in the air when the Queen of soul stepped on that stage! We all went to church that night! It was a night and experience I will never forget.
It's time for Aretha to retire. The back up singers did most of the singing. About one third of the concert seemed like a revival rather than the talent of the Queen of Soul.
Aretha's voice was amazing! She had us dancing and singing along with her. I'm so glad I got to see her perform. What an amazing voice!
Simply the best!! She really is the Queen of Soul!
I was disappointed in the choice of music for the concert. Aretha sang about 3 or 4 of her songs. The rest were other people's music including gospel. Maybe she can't hit the notes anymore. This maybe the reason she didn't sing her songs. I will not attend another one of her concerts. I still love her but maybe it's just time for her to retire.
Ms. Franklin surprised me with the way her sound has not changed at all.
