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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.
Seen Aretha before. Whomever is the Director of the production really created a program that confused me. Samba dancers and people walking across the stage didn't seem to fit with what I expect from Aretha's other shows. Not enough favorites. Where were, "You make me feel like a natural woman" and "Spanish Harlem"?
This was truly inspirational, and unforgetable to see such a great artist perform. It has always been my dream to see the Queen of Soul in concert. Her voice and stage presence is totally remarkable. She woes the audience with her presence, style and sincerity. The connectedness she has with her hometown was quite apparent throughout the performance. I would highly recommend for all to take the opportunity to see the Queen of Soul perform live!!!
ARETHA FRANKLIN WAS SMOKING HOT. SHE SANG FULL SONGS OLD AND NEW. I REALLY ENJOYED MYSELF AND FELT MONEY WELL SPENT
Aretha still has it! The concert was great! Although my seat was obscured, I still enjoyed the concert!!!
Aretha came equipped with a huge contingency on stage. Full horn section, a string section, excellent band, wonderful back up singers. There were some moments when I got goose bumps - but overall I think a lack of confidence prevented Aretha from really delivering what she could have. Aretha is 67 - no one should really expect the woman to hit those super-high notes - her voice that night was more than fine. But I think she felt she should have been able to, and that stopped her from delivering the ballads that would have rounded out a lot of gospel. Sometimes having too much family in the front rows isn't a help.
How bad could it be at "The Fox"? Well, it was about as bad as I can imagine! How sad that the theater wasn't even 50% sold out! Unfortunately the sound was SO BAD that we couldn't hear Aretha's beautiful voice! I blame the sound mixer for that. He sat and did NOTHING the entire show. Bottom line, we left early.
The last time I saw Aretha Franklin perform live was at Cobo Hall in the Seventies. It was very memorable and she brought the house down. I was in my early 20's and had all of her albums. Know in my sixties I still collect here music. Last night’s stellar performance allowed me to appreciate her even more. She worked just has hard as she did back then to captivate the audience with a variety of songs favorites that made us stand up or sing along. Her energy and humor made the show flow smoothly. It Was Great!!!
I enjoyed the performance although the show started late. The floor was strangely way too sticky!!
Naturally, she is amazing. Totally awe-inspiring and sounds every bit as she did years ago when starting off in Detroit. That said, much of the time you couldn't hear the words she was singing because the band/orchestra was so very loud. At first I thought perhaps it was just me that it bothered, but then my husband expressed the same sentiments and I overheard others seated around us saying the same thing She doesn't need a band/orchestra that takes up the entire stage with a complete brass section PLUS 3 drummers! Then there's he string section, the 3 pianist/keyboard players, percussionist and 4 backup singers (who were also excellent). The music was superb, but it's not worth the money when it drowns out the singer, considering she's the one we paid to see. All in all, I'm happy I had the chance to see her in concert, if only for the 4 songs where we could actually hear the words. Those 4 made the evening worthwhile. I can only imagine what it would have been like if we could have heard them all.
I have seen Aretha several times over the years hoping for this kind of show. In my experience Aretha has never connected with her audience the way she did at this performance. The orchestration was fantastic. When Aretha sat down at the piano and started playing she blew me away. Never did I know what an accomplished pianist she is. If you get a chance to see her don't miss it. We love you Aretha!
The show was excellent and she was fabulous. Backed by an orchestra full of horns and strings and back-up singers including Millie Scott made for an entertaining evening. There were the string of familiar songs, some she covered by other artists, and, of course, the gospel tribute to MJ. Best concert I've seen in 10 years!
You must see her before you leave this earth! Her voice is SO STRONG!
Having gone to high school and college here in Detroit, I had seen Aretha at her very beginnings at her fathers church, at the Twenty Grand Etc. So part of the great allure was not only a chance to see and here her, but also to be back in the Fox for the first time in more that 55 yrs when I was a kid seeing movies there. The Fox still leaves me in awe. I procured a article where the Ilitch's restored it somewhere along the line, and a fine job they did. I was taken back to being a child again. Aretha never lets you leave without feeling good about the world, and she has mellowed to the point where she feels comfortable enough to banter with the audience and band members alike. Was it worth the money? you bet. Can't wait to be in the Fox again.
This woman can sing and still have the same great quality voice as when she was younger, I really enjoyed myself, she brought back many memories.
What an incredible concert!!!!! This was the third time that I had the pleasure of seeing Aretha in concert, and this was the best. She demonstrated all of her abilities as a musician and an entertainer. She was in outstanding voice, was personable with the audience, and played the piano with the same soul that you hear in her voice. The song choices included some of her most popular hits ranging from the beginning of her career to new material that will be released in the fall. She also paid touching tributes to Dinah Washington, B.B. King, and Michael Jackson. What made these tributes extra special was that fact that Aretha not only sang to them, but she also played the piano for these tributes with the same emotion that she put into them vocally. On "Freeway of Love", she added a gospel element, and for the final song "The Greatest Love of All", she sent a message of her appreciation for her audience. My personal favorite was her rendition of "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from "Sunset Boulevard". Vocally, she touchingly showed her gratitude to her fans from the Detroit area. Without hesitation, I would see this show again.
