Heartbreaking news from Detroit today, “The Queen of South” Aretha Franklin died at her home today. She was 76. We are beyond saddened that she is no longer with us, especially since her music touched our lives so greatly. Her impact on motion pictures is equally immeasurable, with songs like “Respect,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Chain of Fools,” and many, many more becoming the focal point of numerous film soundtracks.
With this site being primarily devoted to movies, we would be remiss if we didn’t take a moment and reflect upon her scene-stealing performance in The Blues Brothers. Delivering a crowd-pleasing version of “Think” that stops the film in its tracks — more than helping to elevate its cult status — Franklin is an explosive force on the movie screen that makes us wish she had a second career in movies. (Esquire has a fascinating piece on how Franklin nearly didn’t make it into the film).
There will never be another legend quite like her.
As a bonus, here’s Franklin reprising her iconic role as Mrs. Murphy in Blues Brothers 2000:
Absolute magic. Discuss how Aretha Franklin’s music touched your life in the comments below.