Aretha Franklin’s family wasn’t charmed by the eulogy delivered at her funeral, which can only be described as a rancid stew of respectability politics with a side of “black on black crime” bullshit and a dash of “this is why I don’t go to church anymore.”
On Friday outside of Buckingham Palace, the British Army’s Band of the Welsh Guards paid tribute to the Queen by performing her song “Respect.” In addition to the nod to the ocean-spanning power of Aretha Franklin, it’s satisfying to watch a band of unflappable men in bearskin hats playing a female empowerment anthem.…
You know the SOS look you give your friends at a party when you’re cornered by a massive creep? This is what it looks like in front of hundreds of people:
Without question, the Queen of Soul, Ms. Aretha Franklin, loved her headwear—so much so that her hats are often burned into our collective memory of landmark events. Who could forget that gray felt cap with a rhinestone bow from her performance at President Obama’s inauguration?
Rev. Al Sharpton’s fiery speech at Friday’s homegoing ceremony for Aretha Franklin in Detroit was an unquestionable highlight from the star-studded, multi-hour event. Sharpton spoke passionately about Franklin’s contributions to society, and black culture in particular:
Aretha Franklin fans corralled in Detroit on Tuesday to respectfully bow down to the Queen of Soul during the first day of public visitation at the Charles H. Wright Museum. In true Aretha fashion, the proceedings have gone down in style.
Aretha Franklin reportedly had $80 million to her name when she died on August 16, but it appears she didn’t make plans for that fortune’s future—according to a report in TMZ, the Queen of Soul didn’t leave a will.
And here come the excuses. Responding to the widespread criticism she received over her surreal appearance at Monday’s MTV VMAs, during which she told a seven-minute story about herself in front of a giant picture of Aretha Franklin, Madonna wrote on Instagram that she did not intend to perform a tribute to Franklin.…
In a move that screamed “walking Onion headline,” Madonna told what appeared to be an improvised story about her pre-fame years in front of a giant picture of Aretha Franklin during the Video Music Awards. “Aretha Louise Franklin changed the course of my life,” she began, wearing the Berber drag she’s been rocking…
Queer Eye grooming expert Jonathan Van Ness, your very best friend who will give it to you straight and then fix your face with green chapstick (it sounds crazy, I know, but trust me) posted a really sweet tribute to Aretha Franklin, doing what he does best, which is live life.
On Thursday, after a battle with advanced pancreatic caner, one of the most important artists of our time, Aretha Franklin, died at the age of 76. Everyone is upset about this, but Fox News actually handled it kind of poorly.
Wow, epic. Not only did a recent Delta Airlines flight from New York’s J.F.K. International Airport to Nice, France have to turn around in the sky because of a jammed toilet, we now know that Andy Cohen, a man whom Britney Spears has never heard of, was on that flight. His vacation? Inconvenienced.
The undisputed Queen of Soul has died, but Aretha Franklin’s music and the iconic hat she wore at President Obama’s inauguration in 2009 will live on forever in our hearts and in our memes. Towering head wraps and massive church hats were Franklin’s bread and butter for decades, but it was this simple gray felt cap…
When my coworker Ashley Reese dropped this tweet into our work Slack, complete with an accompanying “smudge it” (a common cry for content we’d prefer to un-see), Senior Writer Kelly Faircloth responded, “Get her name out of your goddamn mouth.”
Artist, arranger, pianist, songwriter, mother, civil rights activist, and owner of one of the finest voices to ever bless this planet, Aretha Franklin, has died. TMZ reported Monday that Franklin was down to 86 lbs., and had cancer. On Thursday, Franklin’s publicist Gwendolyn Quinn told the Associated Press she had…
I saw a headline about Aretha Franklin’s rapidly failing health last night but chose not to believe it because it was unsourced on my Twitter timeline. Why burden myself with a terrible rumor before bed, I thought. Unfortunately, Detroit’s Local 4 News has just confirmed her illness with family members.
Aretha Franklin announced her touring retirement earlier this year, and now she has announced her plan for her time off. It involves... working.
As sure as she can wail, Aretha Franklin can also talk piles of shit on her diva peers. Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Roberta Flack, Natalie Cole, Luther Vandross, and Celine Dion are just a few of the bold-faced names who’ve felt Aretha’s wrath and/or shade. Aretha? Sometimes it’s more like A-beef-a.
Our Lady Nicki Minaj has been working feverishly of late, and with significant results: she has just broken Aretha Franklin’s record for most Billboard Hot 100 hits by a woman.
Aretha Franklin cancelled planned performances in 2016 on her doctor’s orders. This week she announced her intention to retire at the end of the year.
