House Resolution 1

A RESOLUTION MOURNING THE LOSS AND COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND STELLAR MUSIC CAREER OF THE IRREFUTABLE QUEEN OF SOUL AND RHYTHM AND BLUES LEGEND MRS. ARETHA LOUISE FRANKLIN AND EXPRESSING DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS UPON HER PASSING.

WHEREAS, it is written in Ecclesiastes 3:1, "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the Heaven," and as such, the immaculate author and finisher of our soul's destiny summoned the mortal presence of a dearly beloved international songbird and world-renowned singer, songwriter and acclaimed pianist, the irrefutable Queen of Soul and incomparable rhythm and blues legend, Mrs. Aretha Louise Franklin, as she has made life's final transition from earthly travailing to heavenly reward, rendering great sorrow and loss to her family, friends and fan base; and

WHEREAS, born on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, the daughter of Mississippi Delta natives, Reverend Clarence LaVaughn (C.L.) Franklin and church pianist Barbara Siggers Franklin, the State of Michigan and the entirety of the world's musical and entertainment industry lost a wonderful friend and icon with the passing of Mrs. Franklin on Thursday, August 16, 2018, and there is now a hush in our hearts as we come together to pay our respects to the memory of one who has been called to join that innumerable heavenly caravan as she now enjoys the eternal peace described in Luke 2:29, "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word"; and

WHEREAS, at the tender age of five, her father, renowned preacher and gospel legend, Reverend C.L. Franklin moved the family to Detroit upon taking on the pastoral leadership of New Bethel Baptist Church, which would become the preeminent rehearsal hall, second to her father's home, where young Aretha honed her vocal acuity and piano proficiency; and

WHEREAS, by the time she was 12 years of age, Aretha began traveling on the road with her father, who also began managing her, during his "gospel caravan" tours for her to perform in various churches, and ultimately helped Aretha sign her first recording deal with J.V.B. Records, where her first album, Songs of Faith, was released in 1956, but feeling the urge to cross over into the secular genre of pop music after turning 18 years old, Aretha convinced her father that this was the best move for her, and was signed to Columbia Records in 1960 after he produced a two-song demo for her that grabbed the label's attention; and

WHEREAS, a durable singer and songwriter whose career, spanning more than six decades, delved into song, religion, love, faith, cheating, pleasure and heartache, mixing romance with fun grounded by her strong gospel roots, Mrs. Franklin's musical maturity reflected her personal life story as chronicled by her 1967 recordings, "I Never Loved a Man" and "Natural Woman," providing a glimpse into her life as the mother of three children and wife of seven years to her first husband; and

WHEREAS, leading the way as a musical linchpin uniting the Civil Rights and Women's movements of the 1960s and 1970s, Aretha was a long-time family friend of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who believed that even one day Mississippi "will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice," and she ascribed to his mantra of nonviolence, and when the unthinkable tragedy beset Dr. King's life, Aretha memorialized him with a stirring rendition of "Precious Lord" during his funeral service; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Franklin, whose genius and activism were omnipresent in her music, famously offered to pay the bond of Angela Davis, a prominent political activist who was accused of conspiracy in a deadly, armed takeover of a California courtroom, in 1970, employing the powerful artistry of her voice and intelligence to transform racism and misogyny, likening her activism to the plight of Esther in the fourth chapter and sixteenth verse of the biblical book bearing her name: "Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish"; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Franklin's courage and self-confidence paved the way for countless artists, and whether earthly or divine, Aretha was beloved by us all because she was unapologetically herself, often times singing of our deepest aspirations for self-determination, dignity and love; and

WHEREAS, over the course of her career, Mrs. Franklin was a prominent figure on the National R&B Charts with numerous chart-topping hits, including: "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)," "Natural Woman," "Respect," "Chain of Fools," "Ain't No Way," "Think," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Angel," "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)," "Rock Steady," "Day Dreaming," "Break it to Me Gently," "Freeway of Love" and "I Knew You Were Waiting for Me," an international number-one duet with George Michael; and

WHEREAS, after getting her start in Gospel, Aretha's musical leanings tended more to the gritty soul of rhythm and blues, with albums such as: Spirit in the Dark, Young, Gifted and Black, Amazing Grace, self-titled album Aretha, Jump to It, Who's Zoomin' Who?, A Rose is Still a Rose and A Brand New Me; and

WHEREAS, having toured steadily, Mrs. Franklin's repertoire of performances consists of a command performance at London's Royal Albert Hall before Queen Elizabeth, Super Bowl XL, the inauguration of President Barack Obama, and an acclaimed guest role as a waitress in the 1980 comedy musical The Blues Brothers, Radio City Music Hall and her final appearance at Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, on November 7, 2017, for the 25th anniversary gala of the Elton John AIDS Foundation; and

WHEREAS, a natural phenomenon, Mrs. Franklin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1979, had her voice declared a Michigan "natural resource" in 1985, became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, awarded the Grammy Legend Award by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 1991, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994, a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1994, recipient of the National Medal of Arts in 1999, bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom, inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame and became the second woman inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame all in 2005, and she was the 2008 MusiCares Person of the Year; and

WHEREAS, after Aretha's 2015 performance at the Kennedy Center Honors tribute to Carole King, President Obama was quoted as having stated that "American history wells up when Aretha sings. Nobody embodies more fully the connection between the African-American spiritual, the blues, R&B, rock and roll—the way that hardship and sorrow were transformed into something full of beauty and vitality and hope"; and

WHEREAS, though she has traversed the river of life to now stand on the celestial shores of Heaven's grandeur, to join the heavenly choir of archangels, the legacy of Mrs. Franklin's memory will continue to refresh the hearts and fond memories of her beloved survivors: her sons, Clarence Franklin, Edward Franklin, Ted White Jr. and Kecalf Cunningham; sister, Carl Kelley; several grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends; and

WHEREAS, we encourage the family to find solace from the overwhelming sadness created by the earthly departure of their beloved family member in Revelation 21:4, wherein is recorded, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" and renewed in their faith that Mrs. Franklin fulfilled the commandment of II Timothy 4:7 by having fought a good fight, finishing her course and keeping the faith until the hour of her departure was at hand; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives that we recognize the music and cultural contributions of this iconic musical legend who has served the world as "The Queen of Soul":

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby mourn the loss and commemorate the life and stellar music career of the irrefutable "Queen of Soul" and rhythm and blues legend Aretha Louise Franklin, and extend sincere sympathies to her family and friends upon her passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the surviving family of Mrs. Aretha Louise Franklin and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.