I went to the preview of the long-awaited film RESPECT starring Jennifer Hudson detailing the life of the legend Aretha Louise Franklin.
The film documents Aretha’s life from childhood to the recording of the ‘Amazing Grace’ album in 1972 (so be warned if you are an Aretha fan of the 80s and 90s.) Jennifer Hudson’s voice is absolute fire. This girl was born to sing, but being the super fan that I am, at points the film lacked substance, minimising the painful experiences which quite frankly made her the Queen of Soul!
In celebration of the film and her life, Aretha’s longtime friend and confidant, David Nathan, has compiled a box set released the same day as the film’s UK release date, 10th September. This is a true musical celebration of songs by the Queen.
I recently spoke to David about the box set, and how he chose where to start and where to end is a mystery to me but knowing Aretha the way he did, he would have made sure she was happy and has definitely done her proud. David used to write for Blues and Soul magazine and also included Aretha in his book Soulful Divas.
