Jump to content

The Aretha Franklin Thread


Faulkner

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 171
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Members

While Bill Clinton is trending worldwide, Hillary Clinton gave some heartfelt words about what Aretha's friendship meant to her.

 

 

I'm just trying to ignore all the Trumpists trying to have a word by interjecting themselves in the discussion by trying to use the Aretha #hashtags.

In church parlance, "Not today, Satan".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

I'm disappointed, of course, but I'm not surprised.  Filth like that will take any and every opportunity to grab some of the spotlight.  But I trust the power of Mother Franklin's voice to repel all demons in the name of Jesus.

 

Aaaaaaaaaand it's still going.  Y'all, I know we lost a nat'l treasure, the likes of which we will never see again.  But the point of these things is not to wait around and see if the dead will come back.  #WrapItUp

Edited by Khan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

It was a slog for the most part, with some good-to-great performances (Audrey, the Clark Sisters, the gospel artists more than the pop stars unsurprisingly given the venue). 

 

I’m sure that sermon could be heard in a lot of black churches (I’ve certainly heard those messages), but it wasn’t appropriate for this particular occasion. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Was this the same pastor who groped Ariana Grande?

 

Unfortunately, I've attended several Black funerals where the pastor(s) responsible for the eulogy took it upon himself to speak out on things that did not pertain to the occasion at hand.  There's a difference between a sermon and a eulogy.  However, some don't seem to understand that.

 

I understand that Aretha wasn't just anybody -- but, honestly, her service was much too long.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

It was a different pastor.

 

I've been to funerals where the minister just says whatever he wants, even if it hurts the family burying their loved one. It's not an experience I've ever forgotten.

 

Making it worse is that people were saying Aretha requested him on her deathbed. I think this is why her family spoke out. Given what happened to Aretha's parents and sisters, she was, presumably, terrified of accepting death, and denied it to the last breath. Yet people were saying she chose this man and his words. 

 

Between him, the usual dramas surrounding Ariana,  and Al Sharpton being Al Sharpton, Aretha herself seemed to be an afterthought at her own service.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

There's nobody that could've watched that entire thing.  Nobody!

 

I missed the sermon but there was an uproar on Twitter over it, with good reason.  The pastor who groped Grande, at the very least apologized, this pastor has not and stands by what he said.

 

I wonder why the family didn't choose someone who has demonstrated a greater grasp of public speaking in front of a multi-generational audience.

 

I was glad to see the likes of the Clarke Sisters perform, they truly embodied the genuine spirit of gospel and church.  Even Fantasia was really moving people.  And normally Jennifer Holiday is OTT but she was in the right tone for the occasion and they needed a strong gospel roots singer to close the ceremony out.

Jennifer Hudson can clearly sing but she is definitely more closely tied to pop than gospel, regardless of what some might say. 

Honestly, I would've risked Lauryn Hill (yes, I know her reputation for not being on time).  Hill had a closer relationship to Aretha Franklin, especially seeing that she wrote and produced one of Aretha's last hits on the charts, Lauryn even sang some backup vocals, lol!  Had they invited Hill to sing "His Eye is On the Sparrow" it would've been special. 

The family missed a few key points of significance with this homegoing celebration but they were grieving and no doubt, tried their best.

Edited by DramatistDreamer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I didn't know Dionne and Aretha did a live duet of this.

 

Please register in order to view this content

 

I still prefer Dionne's version/arrangement as I don't feel Aretha suited Bacharach/David's type of music, which was tailor made for Dionne.

 

Aretha also did a rather messy version of Walk On By:

 

 

Edited by BetterForgotten
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

From what I heard of Sharpton, he seemed to stayfocused in his remarks.  I thought he did well (especially compared to the pastor who did the eulogy and the groper pastor).  Yes, Sharpton's reputation precedes him, but just as the way he was at Michael Jackson's memorial, he was in full black pastor mode at the funeral.  I only heard positive things about his remarks. 

 

Yes, the service was too long and some people just didn't fit in (I like Faith Hill but this is the second time I've seen her fizzle while singing at a big occasion) I don't think it's fair to say that Aretha was an afterthought. 

The Clarke Sisters, The Williams Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, even Fantasia all paid considerable due to Aretha.  The Clarke Sisters and Williams Brothers, in particular really brought authentic black church gospel to the fore.

I thought Cicely Tyson and her big, bountiful church lady black hat gave a wonderful performance.  At 93 years of age!

 

To crystallize the whole 6+ hour celebration to less than a handful of unfortunate incidents seems a tad dismissive. 

It was big and showy and heartfelt at times and also a bit messy, and unapologetically black...kind of like the life of a huge entertainer of Aretha's status. 

Honestly, what else did people expect?

Edited by DramatistDreamer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

I mostly just expected speakers who would focus on Aretha and her life, rather than bashing black women, or talking about Trump, etc. I do agree that there were many there who did right by her, but those who were more focused on public response got the response they were looking for, and that is what ended up getting the coverage. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • I tried following the news in Los Angeles at https://laist.com (independent public radio and news) They had up-to-the minute accurate info during the wildfires in January. There's no video, no impact to my mind as to what's happening. Trying other outlets, to get the truth, but it's hard.  
    • That's a bit murky since that happened during a writers' strike. Assuming Kristen Marie had a 2-year contract she left about when her contract would have expired and Sharlene and Josie showed up right before that. Lemay was officially credited as HW from September 1988 but it seems very probable that his anticipated tenure influenced events that happened during the strike which started in April. 
    • I've seen so many posters over the years who are bright, creative, well-versed in soap history, and who care deeply about the integrity of the genre. I'd put the shows' chances in their hands a lot faster than I would allow any of the "usual suspects" to take control of the dramas they've already helped decimate. When I returned to university in the 1980s, I created a bible for a new soap and presented it in my screenwriting class. It was in reaction to how badly I saw the network shows being butchered at the time. The creative process was thrilling; a total joy, and I still smile when I remember the positive feedback I received from the professor and my fellow students. I was used to seeing written commentary from professors on my work. This one wrote me a long, complimentary note on the final page of the bible, but also graded it 97%, A+. I was beaming ear to ear for days!

      Please register in order to view this content

    • Thanks. I do wonder if Rose was meant to be more given the caliber of actress they hired. I remembered Sara and Peggy staying longer as they were still on when Soapnet started their repeats. I wonder if that was part of the reason they brought Jake's brother in. 
    • Speculation about Missy Reeves' potential evolution on basic civil rights doesn’t change my opinion of her. My view is shaped entirely by her public social media presence—which I find unpalatable—and I have no interest in learning more beyond that. I simply liked Jennifer’s hair and dress. That’s as far as my admiration goes.

      Please register in order to view this content

    • Cheryl was gone before Lemay came back but I agree with your thinking that he would rather a character from a family he introduced to the show than a family he did not originate.  I remember reading somewhere in the early 90's probably after DS left as writer, their was an either a writer or a producer who made a comment that their intent was bring the McKinnon family back to AW.  Would have made sense for the newer viewers from the 80's.  Much like Lemay's attempt to bring the Frames back from his writing in the 70's in his 1988 return
    • DePriest left in January 1988. According to the AWHP, Rose last appeared nearly a year before in February 1987 while both Sara and Peggy appeared as late as October 1987.
    • Annie was not brought in as an antagonist for Reva. Reva wasn’t even on the canvas when Annie first appeared in late 1994. 
    • The speculation……….very entertaining. 
    • I had forgotten that several Days stars came out strong against Melissa. Good for them!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy