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An outpouring of admiration, affection and nostalgia began with news early this week that a hero of our time was receiving end-of-life care at her Riverfront Towers apartment in Detroit.
Now that Aretha Franklin is gone at age 76, the online tributes gain volume. These are among Metro Detroit recollections on social media.
♦ Rocker's fond question: Keith Richards would always say to me, as a greeting, "How's Aretha?" Usually followed by the happy memory of her cooking for him. -- Susan Whitall, music journalist and author
♦ 'A privilege to be her milliner:' I have known Aretha Franklin for the past 20-odd years and it was always a great pleasure to have been her milliner. She had an unique style, just like her voice. Aretha was one of a kind and her songs are forever etched in history. It was a privilege to design for her. Rest in peace, Queen of Soul! -- Luke Song, Southfield hat designer (in messages today to this site)
♦ Opening for a pope: Saw her sing "Amazing Grace" in 1987 from a raised platform in Hart Plaza to a crowd gathered on a closed Jefferson Avenue as an "opening act" for Pope John Paul II during his second American trip. Incredible moment. -- Bob Sadler, MotorCities National Heritage Area communications manager
♦ Chene Park 'gift:' Saw her at Chene Park a couple summers ago from the third row. Being able to watch her play the piano from that close was a gift. -- Susan M. Jones
The Queen waves in December 2015 at a Kennedy Center Honors performance in Washington, D.C.
(CBS video image)
'The Queen sensed my embarrassment'
When I was a cub reporter with a high-profile beat at The Detroit News, . . . I tried so hard to play the role of a grown-up professional. That meant treating the people I interviewed with professionalism and detachment -- even giants like Coleman Young, who had been the only mayor I’d known since I was age 5.
When I covered Dennis Archer’s inaugural ball in 1994, I was walking through the crowd at Cobo Hall and spotted a familiar face: Aretha Franklin. I pulled out my reporter’s notebook and asked her if I could interview her. She reluctantly said yes. (She was notoriously distrustful of the media.) I asked a series of earnest and likely asinine questions about what she thought about our first new mayor in 20 years. Her answers were succinct and direct. Things were going swimmingly.
Then, near the end of our conversation, I lost my ish. "Oh my God!" I blurted out. "I can’t believe I’m standing here talking to Aretha Franklin!"
She looked at me as if I'd been dropped into Cobo from a spaceship and I was instantly mortified. My carefully cultivated girl reporter mask was ripped away. All cool points in my cool point bank were deducted. In one fell swoop, I had proven that i was still a dumb kid, not a professional journalist. I'd interviewed and met lots of famous people, but Aretha -- The Queen -- was the only person I ever fangirled out on when I was in the job. My face clouded over and I tried to regain my composure.
The Queen sensed my embarrassment. Her eyes twinkled and she stroked my arm. "It's OK, darling. You have a nice evening." Then she walked away. The whole interaction lasted a couple of minutes, but I have never forgotten her kindness.
Maya Angelou once said, "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." For my whole life, Aretha Franklin’s voice has entertained and uplifted me. I'll never forget what she did and said.But I'm incredibly lucky that I'll also never forget the special way she made me feel. -- Kim Trent, WSU trustee
♦ A private performance: [On] one of those memorable and epic Freep assignments, I was invited into a small room at the Westin with a few other journalists to hear the Queen of Soul as she played a few songs for us and talked about her upcoming album [on] October 16, 2013. -- Eric Seals, Detroit Free Press photographer
♦ 'Truly down-to-earth:' I was present at the celebration for the unveiling of her street here in Detroit, which I thought was LONG overdue. She was so emotional -- always been a truly down-to-earth woman. -- Janice Edwards
♦ A Cobo Hall glimpse: When I was 19, I watched from about six feet away as Aretha Franklin was whisked through the North American International Auto Show Charity Preview, wrapped in a stunning fur coat. It was one of the greatest thrills of my life. -- Nora Naughton, Detroit News business writer
♦ Patient and charming: I was at one of Judge [Damon] Keith's "soul food luncheons" in the late 1990s or early 2000s and she was the recipient of his annual award. It was getting toward the end of the afternoon and I and my wife were about to leave when I saw her off in the judge's chambers, posing for photos with a few very high-profile people.
So I just bogarted my way into the room and asked for a picture with her -- and much to my surprise, she obliged. . . . She was as patient as she was charming. Unfortunately, I never got the pictures because there was a fire in [the photographer's] studio not long after the event and my photos were among those that were forever lost. Damn. -- Trevor Coleman, former Detroit News reporter now in Bethesda, Md.
Related coverage:
- Derringer: Aretha Was a Mic-Dropping, Mink-Dropping Detroit Treasure Like No Other
- Aretha's Hat Guy: Southfield Designer Went from Backstage to Spotlight on 1/20/09
Your turn now:
Did you see her sing or have a personal encounter? How is Aretha part of your life?
Post a memory or reflection below or at our Facebook page.
