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Aretha: The Queen of Soul―A Life in Photographs
This beautifully illustrated unofficial retrospective celebrates the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, and reflects on her life, music, and legacy.
Aretha Franklin’s voice was legendary, deeply rooted in gospel, yet versatile enough to brilliantly interpret R&B, rock, soul, pop, and jazz standards, it fueled a six-decade career. Her vocal wallop was a mix of preaching, rebuke, and elation. From the languorous “I Never Loved a Man (the Way That I Love You),” to the funky “Chain of Fools,” to the fiercely feminist “Think,” to the definitive, demanding version of Otis Redding’s “Respect,” Franklin’s songs played out against the tumultuous sociopolitical backdrop of the late ’60s like a soundtrack meant to set things right. Her accolades were she received the Kennedy Center honor in 1994, won 18 Grammys®, was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and performed for presidents and the Pope. Illustrated with 85 photos, and with insightful text from noted radio personality and author Meredith Ochs, Aretha explores the diva’s life, from her formative years growing up in Detroit, to her singing and recording career from the 1950s until her untimely death in 2018, to her numerous honors, awards, and causes, including her advocacy for civil rights and the arts.
Aretha Franklin’s voice was legendary, deeply rooted in gospel, yet versatile enough to brilliantly interpret R&B, rock, soul, pop, and jazz standards, it fueled a six-decade career. Her vocal wallop was a mix of preaching, rebuke, and elation. From the languorous “I Never Loved a Man (the Way That I Love You),” to the funky “Chain of Fools,” to the fiercely feminist “Think,” to the definitive, demanding version of Otis Redding’s “Respect,” Franklin’s songs played out against the tumultuous sociopolitical backdrop of the late ’60s like a soundtrack meant to set things right. Her accolades were she received the Kennedy Center honor in 1994, won 18 Grammys®, was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and performed for presidents and the Pope. Illustrated with 85 photos, and with insightful text from noted radio personality and author Meredith Ochs, Aretha explores the diva’s life, from her formative years growing up in Detroit, to her singing and recording career from the 1950s until her untimely death in 2018, to her numerous honors, awards, and causes, including her advocacy for civil rights and the arts.
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
144 pages, Hardcover
Published December 11, 2018
3 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Meredith Ochs
8 books2 followersMeredith Ochs is an award-winning broadcast journalist, author, deejay, and commentator for NPR's All Things Considered. Ochs has also worked as a magazine editor, photographer, touring musician, culinary judge, and boat skipper. She has traveled across the USA in a big rig and around the world by other means of transportation.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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February 13, 2020Again, I was blessed to find this "Bargain Book" for $2 and I feel like I stole from Barnes and Noble. Do they not realize this volume is worth so much more than that?
Ochs captures the passion of Aretha in this beautiful book. My only disappointment was that it was focused on her public persona and didn't shed light on her personal life.
Aretha was certainly a force to be reckoned with and this gorgeous publication captures her energy with vibrant photos and great quotes from the Queen of Soul.
Ochs captures the passion of Aretha in this beautiful book. My only disappointment was that it was focused on her public persona and didn't shed light on her personal life.
Aretha was certainly a force to be reckoned with and this gorgeous publication captures her energy with vibrant photos and great quotes from the Queen of Soul.
February 27, 2019
Aretha Franklin's incomparable career is a well we'll all be returning to forever, so there's really no single right or wrong place to begin. Wherever you are on your Franklin fan journey, you'll enjoy Aretha: The Queen of Soul — A Life in Photographs. Running 144 pages with 85 photos, the book spans Franklin's career. I reviewed this book for The Current's Rock and Roll Book Club.
May 16, 2025
I'm going through one of the toughest times of my life right now, which has made doing things I typically enjoy really hard, but I somehow managed to muster the strength to read this.
It's a nice, brief look at Aretha's career with minor tidbits of her personal life included, like marriages and children. I loved learning about her boldness that she utilized in many avenues, and the photos in here are very cool. I haven't looked through Google images of her much, so I can't attest if these are readily available otherwise, but this is worth getting just for them.
It's a nice, brief look at Aretha's career with minor tidbits of her personal life included, like marriages and children. I loved learning about her boldness that she utilized in many avenues, and the photos in here are very cool. I haven't looked through Google images of her much, so I can't attest if these are readily available otherwise, but this is worth getting just for them.
December 2, 2018
Simply the most gorgeous and disarming visual retrospective of the Queen of Soul I've read. I saw her live once, and was so disappointed in the show that it tainted my feelings about Aretha for decades. After reviewing this book, that emotional dam has been washed away. Some friends call it fluffy; I call it just what I needed.
May 6, 2019
Very good book about Aretha Franklin!
January 22, 2021
5☆ beautiful pictures, fun little coffee table book to read during kids' music lessons
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April 22, 2021I loved all the photos in this book, but it definitely left me with lots of unanswered questions, wanting to learn more about her life.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews