MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2018 1st Extraordinary Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Jackson (11th), Browning, Carmichael, Chassaniol, Clarke, Dearing, Frazier, Jackson (32nd), Jordan, Kirby, Massey, McMahan, Norwood, Parker, Simmons (12th), Simmons (13th), Wilemon, Witherspoon, Younger
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE ETERNAL "RESPECT" OF THE LEGISLATURE FOR THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF ARETHA FRANKLIN, THE "QUEEN OF SOUL," AND EXPRESSING THE CONDOLENCES OF THE MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE TO HER FAMILY UPON HER PASSING.
WHEREAS, Aretha Franklin, whose impassioned, riveting voice made her a Titan of American Music, passed away on August 16, 2018, at the age of 76; and
WHEREAS, Aretha Franklin was one of the transcendent cultural figures of the 20th Century. Raised on an eclectic musical diet of gospel, R&B, classical and jazz, she blossomed out of her father's Detroit church to become the most distinguished female black Artist of all time, breaking boundaries while placing 100 hits on Billboard's R&B Chart with 20 reaching No. 1; and
WHEREAS, the "Queen of Soul," as she was crowned in the 1960s, leaves a sprawling legacy of classic songs that includes "Respect," "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," "Chain of Fools," "Baby I Love You," "Angel," "Think," "Rock Steady,"
"Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "Freeway of Love," along with a bestselling Gospel Catalog; and
WHEREAS, the "Queen of Soul" sang for presidents and royalty, and befriended high-profile leaders, including the Reverends Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jesse Jackson. Amid the global glitter and acclaim, she remained loyal to her adopted home, living in the Detroit area for decades, including the Bloomfield Hills house where she moved in the late 1980s. Aretha's voice was a singular force, earning her a multitude of laurels through the decades, including 18 competitive Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and Honorary Doctorates from a host of institutions. In 1987, she became the first Female Artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and at age 52, the youngest recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor. Aretha topped Rolling Stone magazine's "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" and "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" lists, and her signature hit, "Respect," ranked No. 4 on "Songs of the Century," a 1999 Project by the National Endowment for the Arts. She was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012. Franklin's influence was vast and indelible, and was heard in the myriad voices that followed her, from Mary J. Blige to Adele, and male singers like Luther Vandross; and
WHEREAS, the Women's Rights Movement was just emerging in 1967 when Aretha took on Otis Redding's "Respect," which soon became known as an anthem both for civil rights and for feminism. She changed the song's meaning radically by singing it in her own inimitable voice. Aretha may not have intended it to be a feminist anthem, but she surely knew how it would resonate; and
WHEREAS, Aretha's father, the late Reverend C.L. Franklin, and mother, the late Barbara Vernice Siggers Franklin, were both natives of Shelby, Mississippi. Her father, a Civil Rights Pioneer, died in 1984, and her mother, an accomplished pianist and vocalist, died in 1952. Aretha's brother and Manager died in 1989. Reverend Franklin also had a career as a Recording Minister. He began recording with Chess Recording Company in 1953. His first album in 1953 was "The 23rd Psalms" and his second, and one of his most famous, was "The Eagle Stirreth her Nest"; and
WHEREAS, born in Memphis on March 25, 1942, Aretha moved at age four to Detroit when her father, the Reverend C.L. Franklin, took over duties at New Bethel Baptist Church. In 1960, at age 18, Aretha Franklin spurned a hometown offer from Berry Gordy's fledgling Motown Label and opted to sign with New York's Columbia Records, where her demo tape had caught the ear of iconic talent Scout John Hammond. A year later, after Aretha married her Manager Ted White, her Columbia debut was released. Real success blossomed in 1967 when the 24-year-old Franklin declined to renew her Columbia contract and signed with Atlantic Records, where Executives Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler saw a chance to unleash the raw power of Franklin's vocals. Her first Atlantic single "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" was cut at the burgeoning soul-music hotbed FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Within weeks it was Franklin's first No. 1 on Billboard's R&B Chart, cracking the Pop Top 10 as well. She was on her way to mainstream success; and
WHEREAS, just as important is Aretha's broader social impact: She embodied American black culture, emphatically and without apology, and through sheer force of talent, thrust it onto the global stage. Aretha Franklin not only had the voice of an angel but a heart of gold; her humanitarian efforts are as impressive as her accolades; and
WHEREAS, in the words of Paul McCartney, "Let's all take a moment to give thanks for the beautiful life of Aretha Franklin, the Queen of our souls, who inspired us all for many years. She will be missed, but the memory of her greatness as a musician and a fine human being will live with us forever":
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby extend the Eternal "RESPECT" of the Legislature for the life and accomplishments of Aretha Franklin, the "Queen of Soul," and express the condolences of the Mississippi Legislature to her family upon her passing.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be transmitted to the surviving family of Aretha Franklin, forwarded to the Mississippi Arts Commission, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.