From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Mon Mar 25, 2002  1:15 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Aretha Franklin
 
ARETHA FRANKLIN (By Shaun Mather)

Born 25 March, 1942, Memphis, Tennessee

Following a spectacular string of hits in the 60's, Aretha Franklin is
regarded as the Queen of Soul and such is the quality of her early catalogue
that she is still an icon with today's young public who weren't around when
she ruled the airwaves. Her sound was a mixture of soul music soaked in the
gospel music she grew up with. In 1960 she was signed to Columbia by
John Hammond and enjoyed a few small hits but it was a move to Atlantic
in 1967 that saw her career take-off. Backed by the famed Muscle Shoals
Rhythm section and produced by Jerry Wexler, she had massive hits with
Respect, I Say A Little Prayer, Think and Chain of Fools among others and
by the end of the 60's her success was unparalleled. In 1972 she recorded
one of the biggest selling gospel albums of all time, Amazing Grace and
although she is no longer the dominant force of the past, she has continued
to have hits. By 1998 her total number of entries in the Billboard Top 100
was 76. In Billboard's ranking system of Top pop artists from 1955-1999,
she holds position # 8 (after Presley, The Beatles, Elton John, Stevie
Wonder,
James Brown, Madonna and The Rolling Stones and just ahead of Michael
Jackson and Pat Boone.)

CD recommendation: The Very Best of Aretha Franklin, Vol. 1 (Rhino/
Atlantic)