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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.
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What can you say about the QUEEN of Soul that has not been said ? - It was an INCREDIBLE performance !!!! It was an absolute delight to see and hear our queen !! One thing though - with what happened to the KING of pop - Michael Jackson I am worried about Aretha's " health - please take care of yourself "Ree", we want you around for a long time - Love ChiTownJuan
expected a better show from aretha franklin...but it was ok and this venue is always awesome!
"The Queen of Soul" Aretha is truly one of the best . I simply love everything about her. The concert was fantastic - the gowns, the white mink coat- the titus orginal black dress (which fit her to a tee). This concert will go down in my history book of concerts as one of the best I've ever seen.
After all the missed opportunities, I'm glad to finally saw her singing. Perhaps it would have been better 20 years ago, but hey, I'm getting older too !
She sang my two favorite songs in the first fifteen minutes. What was left? She came out after her intermission and really got into it. It was as if the only thing that made her go home was that, at sixty-seven, she's not quite as spry as she used to be. But what a singer and what an entertainer. And, finally, what a human being. She had the Hollywood Bowl on its feet. All different sorts of people, united in a love and respect of Aretha Franklin. What a night!
Aretha Franklin took us on a soulful journey through her music from her early days in gospel to Pink Cadillac to her latest album. No one does it better than her Highness.
This was our first time seeing Aretha and we heard she can be "moody". We splurged and got box seats and we were so glad. She was classy and exceptional. The box seats made it even more enjoyable...more room to dance. :)
It was fabulous to see and hear Aretha sing the legendary songs we've enjoyed for so many years, and she obviously still loves performing.
Very disappointing. She was much better last year at the Nokia theater. She was unable to reach the notes and skimmed along as needed. I will not go to see her again
The sound system operator ruined this concert. I was 3/4 of the way to the back of the venue and the sound levels were deafening and distorted. The music was turned up too high to hear the vocals. Aretha has a beautiful voice that shouldn't be covered up by excessively loud music amplification.
Aretha is ....Aretha. A legend ! Her voice was amazing. Was a bit shocked at how large she was but she did not loose her edge...her voice was amazing and she put on a great show. It went by fast and the night was a bit chilly but it is always amazing to go to the Hollywood Bowl. It is one of the best things to do in the summery nights in L.A. !
She put on a soulful show that lit up the hollywoood bowl! I have chills many time throughout the show!
This was one of the best Aretha shows I have been too. I have seen her 17 times since 1971. The song selection was wonderful, covering her career of five decades. The background singers were excellent, including cousin Brenda Corbett, who sang the background on "Ain't No Way." Wow. Love Aretha, loved the show. It is nice to see the people who turn out for Aretha's concerts. They are truly a diverse group. Long Live the Queen!
In the last two years I have seen Aretha perform at various stages across the Los Angeles region. The Hollywood Bowl performance was by far my favorite. The energy of her band and back ups was palpable. So glad I got to see the queen again.
Aretha's voice is a strong as ever. It was a great mix of classic favorites and raise the roof gospel. She played a little over two hours, and kept up the energy of the bowl throughout. Her playful personality and personal interaction with the audience was delightful. Why the brazilian band during her costume change. Could of come up with a less obnoxious interlude. My one complaint about Aretha was that after an arousing rendition of Freeway of love to close the show, she come out for an encore and sang Whitney Houston?? While leaving hits like Rock Steady and Natural Woman on the shelf. The only misstep in an otherwise wonderful evening.
That was my first time seeing Aretha but she put on a great show!!
I waited my entire life to see Aretha in concert. She is my idol, my mentor and amazing singer. SHE did not disappoint!! She was fantastic and I had the time of my life. I wish it would have gone on for hours longer but she is only one person! It was the night after Michael died and she requested 17,000+ of us to have a moment of silence it was beautiful. It was wonderful to be surrounded by Aretha loving fans!! Truly spectacular!!
Aretha hasn't lost a thing! Amazing, she totally rocked. She sang old favorites, some new stuff (mostly gospel), and was everything I hoped for as a singer. She even played the piano, a great surprise! The band was not as tight as I would have expected - it appeared some were "hers" and some were not so perhaps they didn't get much practice. The bad news? Where do I start. The program was to start at 8:30pm. Nothing started until 8:50pm, and the warm-up wasn't much to write home about. Aretha came out at 8:55pm and sang for 30 minutes. Then she made her way off the stage! No explanation from anyone. Then a very bizarre "intermission" ensued, with what I'd term Brazilian Fiesta meets Street Hawker Extraordinaire, and we felt yelled at for about 15-20 minutes. Naturally, we were thrilled when Aretha came back, and it was all good after that. Then there was the food - got the order wrong, took a really long time, but when we finally ate, it was good. So, as much as I love the Hollywood Bowl as a venue, this is my third disappointment there, and three times is a charm...
Probably the worst concert I've ever been to. My thoughts: 1. The sound was terrible as the instruments were louder than her voice the ENTIRE concert. 2. She didn't even sing her most famous song. 3. She spent much of her concert introducing the 'famous' people in her audience which was uninteresting. Not worth the money I spent. Wish I didn't waste my time.
The night was spectacular and Ms. Franklin was mezmorizing. She clearly has control of her show and she knows it along with the audience.
