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The Queen: Aretha Franklin
You know her voice. Now hear her story.
Audible has teamed up with Rolling Stone to produce an uncompromisingly honest Audible Original that honors the life and legacy of the incomparable Aretha Franklin. Aretha’s universal appeal was evident from the release of her first album at age 14 through her nearly 50 Top 40 hits. Yet this intimate biography reminds us that Aretha knew pain as much as she knew glory. It was the blues, residing deep within her soul, that gave way to a voice able to lift millions with a profound sense of freedom, self-worth, and undeniable talent to rise above sorrow.
Aretha’s unshakeable foundation of faith–fueled by a childhood spent singing in church alongside her famous father, minister C.L. Franklin—allowed her to blend heartbreak with spirituality in soul-stirring song. By diving into the true story of Aretha—from the years following her mother’s passing to the moment she decided to become a singer—the listener can’t help but glimpse the roots of the sorrow behind her famous eyes.
©2018 Rolling Stone, LLC (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC
Audible has teamed up with Rolling Stone to produce an uncompromisingly honest Audible Original that honors the life and legacy of the incomparable Aretha Franklin. Aretha’s universal appeal was evident from the release of her first album at age 14 through her nearly 50 Top 40 hits. Yet this intimate biography reminds us that Aretha knew pain as much as she knew glory. It was the blues, residing deep within her soul, that gave way to a voice able to lift millions with a profound sense of freedom, self-worth, and undeniable talent to rise above sorrow.
Aretha’s unshakeable foundation of faith–fueled by a childhood spent singing in church alongside her famous father, minister C.L. Franklin—allowed her to blend heartbreak with spirituality in soul-stirring song. By diving into the true story of Aretha—from the years following her mother’s passing to the moment she decided to become a singer—the listener can’t help but glimpse the roots of the sorrow behind her famous eyes.
©2018 Rolling Stone, LLC (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC
Audible Audio
First published October 4, 2018
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About the author
Mikal Gilmore
16 books72 followersMikal Gilmore was born "Michael Gilmore," but later changed the spelling of his name. He was born February 9, 1951 to Frank and Bessie Gilmore.
In 1977, Gilmore's brother Gary, a convicted murderer, was the first person executed after the death penalty was reinstated in 1977. Gary Gilmore was executed for shooting two young Mormons, Max Jensen and Ben Bushnell, in cold blood. He was executed by firing squad in Utah. Mikal Gilmore's 1995 memoir, Shot in the Heart , details his relationship with Gary and their often troubled family, starting with the original Mormon settlers and continuing through to Gary's execution and its aftermath. Shot in the Heart received positive reviews, including a USA Today comment that states the book is "one of the most beautifully written, moving nonfiction books published in the past five years." Gilmore's book won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award.
Gilmore was long interested in music, and in the early 1970s began writing articles for Rolling Stone. In 1999, Gilmore's chronology Night Beat: A Shadow History of Rock and Roll was published by Anchor. In July 2009 Gilmore released another book, Stories Done: Writings on the 1960s and its Discontents . It was published by Free Press.
In 1977, Gilmore's brother Gary, a convicted murderer, was the first person executed after the death penalty was reinstated in 1977. Gary Gilmore was executed for shooting two young Mormons, Max Jensen and Ben Bushnell, in cold blood. He was executed by firing squad in Utah. Mikal Gilmore's 1995 memoir, Shot in the Heart , details his relationship with Gary and their often troubled family, starting with the original Mormon settlers and continuing through to Gary's execution and its aftermath. Shot in the Heart received positive reviews, including a USA Today comment that states the book is "one of the most beautifully written, moving nonfiction books published in the past five years." Gilmore's book won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award.
Gilmore was long interested in music, and in the early 1970s began writing articles for Rolling Stone. In 1999, Gilmore's chronology Night Beat: A Shadow History of Rock and Roll was published by Anchor. In July 2009 Gilmore released another book, Stories Done: Writings on the 1960s and its Discontents . It was published by Free Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
October 10, 2018
This is good for the short audiobook that it is. It has made me curious to know more.
Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, was born in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, on March 25, 1942. She died on August 16th of this year, 2018, at the age of seventy-six. Pancreatic cancer was the cause. The battle she put up against the disease is remarkable.
The book focuses more on Aretha’s career than the personal side of her life. Her progression from Gospel to Rhythm & Blues to Soul and on to popular, secular music is covered in detail. The singers and record companies she worked with, her albums and hit singles and gala performances are all mentioned. She even did opera. She sang at Obama’s second inauguration. It is fun remembering her hits and those singing alongside her. One becomes kind of nostalgic.
We are told the basics about her family--about the separation of her parents when she was six. about the death of her mother when she was ten, and the strong influence her father, Reverend Clarence LaVaughn Franklin, had in shaping her. She lived with him after her parents' separation, staying with her mother over vacations. Not living with her mother when she died, why then was Aretha more profoundly affected by her death than her siblings? She had her first child at twelve, her second at fourteen. She was so very young! Many questions arise about that which we are told, and they are not covered here. Her resilience in her final battle against illness also intrigues me. I like understanding people thoroughly, and so in this respect, the book has not given me what I was looking for.
On the other hand, I do not think it fair to demand complete understanding of who the woman Aretha Franklin was given the short length of the audiobook. I am taking this Audible Original and rating it for what it is. It is good. It piqued my interest for more.
Adenrele Ojo narrates the audiobook very well. She is pleasant to listen to and what she says is clear and distinct. The speed is perfect. I do wish some of Aretha’s songs had been included, but they aren’t. Maybe copyright restrictions prevent this.
Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, was born in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, on March 25, 1942. She died on August 16th of this year, 2018, at the age of seventy-six. Pancreatic cancer was the cause. The battle she put up against the disease is remarkable.
The book focuses more on Aretha’s career than the personal side of her life. Her progression from Gospel to Rhythm & Blues to Soul and on to popular, secular music is covered in detail. The singers and record companies she worked with, her albums and hit singles and gala performances are all mentioned. She even did opera. She sang at Obama’s second inauguration. It is fun remembering her hits and those singing alongside her. One becomes kind of nostalgic.
We are told the basics about her family--about the separation of her parents when she was six. about the death of her mother when she was ten, and the strong influence her father, Reverend Clarence LaVaughn Franklin, had in shaping her. She lived with him after her parents' separation, staying with her mother over vacations. Not living with her mother when she died, why then was Aretha more profoundly affected by her death than her siblings? She had her first child at twelve, her second at fourteen. She was so very young! Many questions arise about that which we are told, and they are not covered here. Her resilience in her final battle against illness also intrigues me. I like understanding people thoroughly, and so in this respect, the book has not given me what I was looking for.
On the other hand, I do not think it fair to demand complete understanding of who the woman Aretha Franklin was given the short length of the audiobook. I am taking this Audible Original and rating it for what it is. It is good. It piqued my interest for more.
Adenrele Ojo narrates the audiobook very well. She is pleasant to listen to and what she says is clear and distinct. The speed is perfect. I do wish some of Aretha’s songs had been included, but they aren’t. Maybe copyright restrictions prevent this.
December 18, 2018
3.5/5*
Why not try a free Audible original about Aretha Franklin? That was my thought and I'm glad I did try it, though it wasn't exactly what I expected.
I was a Rolling Stone subscriber for decades, (until they put the Boston marathon bomber on the cover, but that's another story.) One of the things I miss about the magazine is the in-depth articles on musicians and singers, which is what I thought this would be.
It turned out to be like an article, yes, and a very well researched one at that. It's my fault for thinking that, since this is an audiobook, samples of her music or even full songs would be included. They're not. Also, this isn't as much of an in-depth look of her life so much as it is a look at her musical life. Which isn't a bad thing, I just expected more.
Side note: *I just discovered that Mikal Gilmore is actually the brother of Gary Gilmore, the subject of the book THE EXECUTIONER'S SONG. How did I not know that?*
Anyway, this was free and as such I can't complain. Thanks, Audible!
Listened to 12.2018. (Removed dates read so this doesn't count towards books read in 2018.
Why not try a free Audible original about Aretha Franklin? That was my thought and I'm glad I did try it, though it wasn't exactly what I expected.
I was a Rolling Stone subscriber for decades, (until they put the Boston marathon bomber on the cover, but that's another story.) One of the things I miss about the magazine is the in-depth articles on musicians and singers, which is what I thought this would be.
It turned out to be like an article, yes, and a very well researched one at that. It's my fault for thinking that, since this is an audiobook, samples of her music or even full songs would be included. They're not. Also, this isn't as much of an in-depth look of her life so much as it is a look at her musical life. Which isn't a bad thing, I just expected more.
Side note: *I just discovered that Mikal Gilmore is actually the brother of Gary Gilmore, the subject of the book THE EXECUTIONER'S SONG. How did I not know that?*
Anyway, this was free and as such I can't complain. Thanks, Audible!
Listened to 12.2018. (Removed dates read so this doesn't count towards books read in 2018.
October 12, 2018
A surprisingly in depth biographical profile of Aretha Franklin given the time constraints.
November 13, 2018
WOW, I learned so much about the Queen of Soul. This was a quick, down, and dirty look at the trials and tribulations that Aretha Franklin went through as a singer and entertainer. There was a lot of information provided that I had no clue about her; however, it does make me want to get more books about her.
This specific video review will be included in the November 2018 wrap-up.
For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.
This specific video review will be included in the November 2018 wrap-up.
For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.
September 28, 2020
Though I agree with some of the reviews on here who wanted a more in-depth perspective of Aretha Franklin's life and career and not just some highlights, I am giving this audiobook a 4 star rating because I personally did get alot of information and some inspiratation from listening to it.
Especially toward the end, I found myself Googling videos of the performances she gave at different venues as she neared the end of her life that I'd never seen before and found very inspiring and even emotional. Clearly I agree with the statement towards the end of the audio stating that A.F. "wanted to live". There were also many bits of information throughout that I didn't know and was suprised about. Like here comments about Natalie Cole and her behavior toward Patti Labelle and Luther Vandross, as well as her relationships with her own family that were strange at times but also moving. Even though her strongest impact was in the mid to late 60's, I was really turned on to her music during her career resurgence in the 90's. This is when I truly connected to her music. ("Who's Zooming Who","Another Night" and her duets with George Michael "I Knew You Were Waiting", with The Four Tops (Levi Stubbs) "If Ever A Love There Was" and with Michael McDonald "Everchanging Times". Overall it was very informative to me.
Especially toward the end, I found myself Googling videos of the performances she gave at different venues as she neared the end of her life that I'd never seen before and found very inspiring and even emotional. Clearly I agree with the statement towards the end of the audio stating that A.F. "wanted to live". There were also many bits of information throughout that I didn't know and was suprised about. Like here comments about Natalie Cole and her behavior toward Patti Labelle and Luther Vandross, as well as her relationships with her own family that were strange at times but also moving. Even though her strongest impact was in the mid to late 60's, I was really turned on to her music during her career resurgence in the 90's. This is when I truly connected to her music. ("Who's Zooming Who","Another Night" and her duets with George Michael "I Knew You Were Waiting", with The Four Tops (Levi Stubbs) "If Ever A Love There Was" and with Michael McDonald "Everchanging Times". Overall it was very informative to me.
October 11, 2018
A nice digestible size. Includes some of the best bits from David Ritz book. Covers the end of Aretha’s life and death. Would be good to listen to again. Such an incredible life.
What I learned: Srgt Pepper’s is the Beatles “white” album in that it has almost no black music influences. Aretha died of pancreatic cancer without a will.
What I learned: Srgt Pepper’s is the Beatles “white” album in that it has almost no black music influences. Aretha died of pancreatic cancer without a will.
October 22, 2018
This read like a book report. I was hoping for so much more.
December 21, 2020
Notes:
Other than being a fan of Aretha Franklin's music, I don't know a lot about her. This biography was a nice starting point to learn about Aretha. It had a nice mix of information and personal touches to make the biography flow well. It celebrates Aretha's talent & skills without hiding her flaws. I thought it was very well done.
Other than being a fan of Aretha Franklin's music, I don't know a lot about her. This biography was a nice starting point to learn about Aretha. It had a nice mix of information and personal touches to make the biography flow well. It celebrates Aretha's talent & skills without hiding her flaws. I thought it was very well done.
October 30, 2018
Review of the Audible Audio edition narrated by Adenrele Ojo
This was part of the Audible Originals free giveaway program for October 2018. As a 4-hour audio biography of Gospel and Rhythm & Blues singer Aretha Franklin's life it is obviously a very condensed version of the story but it certainly covers all of the major highlights of her career and life. Of the recordings it is the tumultuous story behind her classic 1967 premiere on Atlantic Records "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" and her later top selling gospel album "Amazing Grace" (1972) which are rightly extensively featured.
As a quickie audio-only biography done so shortly after Franklin's passing in 2018 it is heavily reliant on both David Ritz's authorized "Aretha: From These Roots" (1999) and the later unauthorized "Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin" (2014) biographies. Secondary sources such as Peter Guralnick's "Sweet Soul Music" (1986) are also extensively quoted and fully credited. All in all this is a quite excellent Aretha 101.
The narration by Adenrele Ojo is very enthusiastically and passionately delivered.
This was part of the Audible Originals free giveaway program for October 2018. As a 4-hour audio biography of Gospel and Rhythm & Blues singer Aretha Franklin's life it is obviously a very condensed version of the story but it certainly covers all of the major highlights of her career and life. Of the recordings it is the tumultuous story behind her classic 1967 premiere on Atlantic Records "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" and her later top selling gospel album "Amazing Grace" (1972) which are rightly extensively featured.
As a quickie audio-only biography done so shortly after Franklin's passing in 2018 it is heavily reliant on both David Ritz's authorized "Aretha: From These Roots" (1999) and the later unauthorized "Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin" (2014) biographies. Secondary sources such as Peter Guralnick's "Sweet Soul Music" (1986) are also extensively quoted and fully credited. All in all this is a quite excellent Aretha 101.
The narration by Adenrele Ojo is very enthusiastically and passionately delivered.
November 5, 2018
I understand that she was a private woman, but why is this story told through the perspective of the men in her life?
September 7, 2020
I’m rethinking my habit of not reading memoirs. Actually I listened to this one. :) The narrator is a favorite of mine. I learned a lot about Aretha Franklin’s life. My only thoughts to make this better was it should have had some music clips. I found myself Googling some of the music mentioned during the narration.
October 20, 2018
I listened to this audiobook.
I liked the narration, however, I think it would have been better if it included the music to which it refers. Being an audiobook, this would have been possible.
I liked the narration, however, I think it would have been better if it included the music to which it refers. Being an audiobook, this would have been possible.
March 31, 2022
A troubled history. May appeal to fans of the singer but I found it rather boring.
July 26, 2019
This listen appears to be taken from the book Respect a David Ritz bio of Franklin after attempting to ghostwrite an AutoBio with Franklin failed.
November 20, 2018
Boa biografia resumida de Aretha Franklin. Trechos musicais enriqueceriam muito, já que é um audiolivro.
October 14, 2018
A great introduction to the woman behind the music. Love the music; didn't know much about her. Wish I'd taken an interest sooner.
November 8, 2018
When someone is this famous there really isn't much anyone can write that isn't already out there, but this is blatently just a college term paper compilation of cited quotes from other writers. 20 minutes from the end the author takes a gratuitous jab at the Trump presidency for no other reason than to express a personal opinion with little relevance to the story. That's where I shut it off and deleted it.
April 30, 2020
Very interesting... I need her memoir in my life like ASAP.
October 28, 2018
I loved learning more about Aretha Franklin, and this was a great/short history, but I was left wondering about some aspects of her life, like what became of her two children that she had in her teens, and did she have more?
August 20, 2019
I suspect that Gilmore heard that Aretha Franklin had died, flicked through a couple of biographies and knocked this out in a weekend.
January 4, 2019
Definitely would not have picked this up if it wasn't free! It was an interesting, short listen, even if some of the significance of Aretha's time probably went over my head. Since I'm not very familiar with gospel, soul, or r&b music, most of the "famous" musicians and other artists mentioned in her early career were completely unfamiliar to me, although I did recognize a few names!
This probably would have been a bit more engrossing if I had more background knowledge of what was happening in the music world at the time of Aretha's popularity, but as-is it felt sort of like listening to a single-episode history podcast on one musician. It also makes it a bit hard for me to judge whether the book was an accurate portrayal of her or her life/career.
For instance, I was left with questions about what happened to her 2 children that she has as a teen, because it's mentioned that they're left with her parents when Aretha goes to pursue a music career in New York, and then they're never mentioned again! So, I think there may be some missing pieces here, but that's probably to be expected since this book focuses mostly on her music career and impact as an artist.
This probably would have been a bit more engrossing if I had more background knowledge of what was happening in the music world at the time of Aretha's popularity, but as-is it felt sort of like listening to a single-episode history podcast on one musician. It also makes it a bit hard for me to judge whether the book was an accurate portrayal of her or her life/career.
For instance, I was left with questions about what happened to her 2 children that she has as a teen, because it's mentioned that they're left with her parents when Aretha goes to pursue a music career in New York, and then they're never mentioned again! So, I think there may be some missing pieces here, but that's probably to be expected since this book focuses mostly on her music career and impact as an artist.
October 13, 2018
4 stars (liked a lot)
This is one of Audible's new "Original" monthly shorts that are free to members. I found it to be a well-narrated and brief, yet sweeping, overview of Arethra's personal life and musical career. It included many quotes from her and numerous others as well as details on musical and political influences of her time. These two elements significantly enhanced its interest, intimacy, and authenticity despite its length. Although the book is just three chapters, I came away feeling less that questions were left unanswered but more that I simply look forward to getting to know her better by reading a longer biography. The narrator sounded genuinely interested in the subject matter which also made it an enjoyable listen. For a short biography, I thought it successfully captured a glimpse of her overall essence and the palette of influences that formed her artistic legacy.
This is one of Audible's new "Original" monthly shorts that are free to members. I found it to be a well-narrated and brief, yet sweeping, overview of Arethra's personal life and musical career. It included many quotes from her and numerous others as well as details on musical and political influences of her time. These two elements significantly enhanced its interest, intimacy, and authenticity despite its length. Although the book is just three chapters, I came away feeling less that questions were left unanswered but more that I simply look forward to getting to know her better by reading a longer biography. The narrator sounded genuinely interested in the subject matter which also made it an enjoyable listen. For a short biography, I thought it successfully captured a glimpse of her overall essence and the palette of influences that formed her artistic legacy.
July 9, 2019
It's hard to tell whether it was a bad idea to listen to this book while having no idea who Aretha Franklin was, or a good idea because now I know and can be somewhat prepared to comprehend her songs.
I was wondering the whole time why the narrator is speaking in a strange manner, until I realised that Adenrele Ojo is of black heritage and I'm a non-native English speaker with little experience of, ehm, different English languages, so to say.
Besides, I have too limited knowledge about the gospel singers in the US in 1950s, about the US in 1950s, and about the US in general, so I was probably more shocked about some events described than I should've been.
The moral of this review is ...you (me) need to read more.
I was wondering the whole time why the narrator is speaking in a strange manner, until I realised that Adenrele Ojo is of black heritage and I'm a non-native English speaker with little experience of, ehm, different English languages, so to say.
Besides, I have too limited knowledge about the gospel singers in the US in 1950s, about the US in 1950s, and about the US in general, so I was probably more shocked about some events described than I should've been.
The moral of this review is ...you (me) need to read more.
March 1, 2020
I listened to the Audible version which is a short biography of Aretha Franklin. This focuses on her career, with some details on her personal life. It covers her initial start in gospel and her early forays into recording. She had a challenging upbringing and was greatly influenced by her father. Her early pregnancies (at 12 and 14) did not stop her progression and passion for her music career. Later she faced many struggles but also had a knack for comebacks. Her final battle against cancer was longer than expected but was well fought. This is a good synopsis of her life to whet the appetite for a more detailed biography.
October 18, 2018
Got it for free as part of Audible's new program where members get 2 free Originals per month.
While it was fairly entertaining and well-done, it was just too short (~3hrs) to really cover anything of substance. So much of it was quoting other books about Aretha, it made me wish I was reading one of those instead.
Good overview of her life, but if you are really interested in details, this probably won't satisfy you.
While it was fairly entertaining and well-done, it was just too short (~3hrs) to really cover anything of substance. So much of it was quoting other books about Aretha, it made me wish I was reading one of those instead.
Good overview of her life, but if you are really interested in details, this probably won't satisfy you.
October 28, 2018
I didn't really know a lot about Aretha Franklin before listening to this book. I feel like because of Aretha's secrecy and distrust of the media, we are only able to guess at details of her life, and the lack of her personal words and opinions I feel a lack of richness, though the prose almost makes up for it. It paints a beautiful picture of a young girl growing up in racial adversity and shining despite it all.
November 8, 2018
This was a free Audible Original. Ended up learning about Aretha's incredibly interesting life. Definitely worth readying.
November 17, 2018
Очень скучная биография, не получилось сосредоточиться, бросила на середине. Но теперь с удовольствием слушаю Арету Франклин!
December 12, 2019
Enjoyable but brief. Makes me want to read her autobiography.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews