Gift Article. "I never got to know her personally in those days, though she and my father were good friends. Two years ago I saw her perform at the White House, as part of the festivities around International Jazz Day. Without it we'd be remembering a different artist now, and celebrating a different body of work. She won 18 Grammys and was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Dinah appears as a friend of Aretha's family, who meets Aretha as a child singer before witnessing her grow to become a popular artist in her own right. Franklin, who died Thursday at 76, solidified her unchallenged reign as the Queen of Soul elsewhere, on grander stages, typically with grittier musical backing. More than a few jazz musicians of our time have shared a stage with Franklin, in settings as unfussy as Baker's Keyboard Lounge and as exalted as The Kennedy Center. Dinah Washington rose to fame in the 1950s and 60s. Her Franklin isnt yet the iconic singer so many of us know, but instead a talented up and comer who has to learn how to make her way in the world. The biopic Respect only attempts 20 years of Franklin (Jennifer Hudson)s life, including her friendship with Dinah Washington (Mary J. Blige), but still leaves out some fascinating moments. "Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington", Learn how and when to remove this template message, The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin, Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington, Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics, Respect: The Very Best of Aretha Franklin, The Queen in Waiting: The Columbia Years (19601965), Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul, Jewels in the Crown: All-Star Duets with the Queen, The Atlantic Singles Collection 19671970, The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire), (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone, Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do), It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be, A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Unforgettable:_A_Tribute_to_Dinah_Washington&oldid=1032732446, Articles lacking sources from October 2015, Short description is different from Wikidata, Album articles lacking alt text for covers, Articles with MusicBrainz release group identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning" (, "Don't Say You're Sorry Again" (Lee Pearl, Art Berman, Eugene West) - 2:45, Original recordings produced by Robert Mersey, Legacy's Rhythm & Soul Series Director: Adam Block, Remixed and digitally mastered by Vic Anesini, Sony Music Studios, New York, Interior Photos: Sony Music Photo Library, This page was last edited on 9 July 2021, at 09:23. Hammond, who had famously worked with Holiday, saw this potential when he signed Franklin to Columbia. Raised by her father, CL Franklin (played by a towering Forest Whitaker) a Baptist minister and civil rights activist who was friends with Martin Luther King she scored her first record deal under John Hammond (Tate Donovan) at Columbia Records in New York. ARETHA FRANKLIN - UNFORGETTABLE - A TRIBUTE TO DINAH WASHINGTON - Music Its an unforced error in a movie that, for all its flaws, still sends you out singing. On an even more basic level, Franklin was in some sense a jazz singer, even though that label captures neither the essence of her artistry nor the scope of her significance. The singer Dinah Washington was not only a huge influence on Franklinwho, in 1964, recorded an album of her songs as a tributebut also a family friend. The upside of Respect is that it truly focuses on the intricacies of her music-making. Scott Wilson spoke with Showbiz Cheat Sheet by phone on July 29 about Respect. And no hits, says Washington, her diamond earrings easily four times the size of the downtrodden artists in front of her. Early on in "Respect," the latest onscreen retelling of Aretha Franklin's story, the aging jazz and R&B star Dinah Washington asks her protge, "Child, are you ever going . She doesn't sing. "Aretha deeply resented the remarks and thought Dinah was acting like a diva," Ritz wrote. Dinah Washington Performs in 1952. C.L. Franklin sold out concerts well into her 70s and is one of the most celebrated artists of our time. In one notable scene in Respect, her friend the Rev. Over a stretch of just 17 years, Dinah Washington recorded 447 songs. Her cause of death was ruled as a lethal combination of secobarbital and amobarbital, prescriptions for her insomnia and diet. In Respect, viewers get a look at the relationship that Franklin and Washington had. RESPECT Official Teaser Trailer (Universal Pictures) HD. Tommy has surrounded her with a number of fabulous double threats: Turner sounds phenomenal as kid Aretha, McDonald and Mary J. Blige (as blues legend Dinah Washington) aren't in the movie . But a few of both Dinah's and Brook's their most successful singles came about from their tumultuous working relationship. Released on February 18, 1964, by Columbia Records, the album is a tribute dedicated to the recently deceased singer Dinah Washington. (This tidy arc was reinforced for years by Atlantic's own Jerry Wexler, who had a vested interest in claiming the win. Since her youth Franklin had admired Dinah Washington, and it's a safe bet that the level of emotional commitment Washington brought to her work was a major influence on the blossoming style of Aretha, not to mention Washington's effortless sense of swing. She studied Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae, Anita O'Day, June Christy, Dakota Staton anyone I had on the box. Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington is the fifth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin. "That's where she first heard Sarah Vaughan," Cecil said. Yes. In Respect, Franklin is friends with Washington. Soul '69, released on Atlantic at the top of that year, features a stacked consortium of jazz musicians, working in an organic R&B mode. Ive never seen the actor do anything remotely like this before, playing a more pathetic Ike Turner without the genius.). Franklins imprint is all over the film Respect as well. Under Ted's managerial command, Aretha left Columbia Records and signed a contract with Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records. But I can tell you truthfully that in the moment, among the assembled, that distinction was the furthest thing from anybody's mind. Respect is part of a larger trend of films and TV series including the National Geographic mini-series Genius: Aretha, starring Cynthia Erivo, and the Sydney Pollack documentary Amazing Grace (filmed in 1972 but released in 2018) that all try to capture Franklins virtuosity. Aretha Franklin recording at Columbia Studios in 1962. She leaves her tumultuous relationship and writes the song Think. She got to a point where she could imitate these singers, lick for lick.". What the Cast of Genius: Aretha Looks Like In Real Life, National Geographic, Richard DuCree; Getty, one of the most celebrated singers in the world. Mary J. Blige has played many memorable characters throughout her career, from Monet Tejada in Power Book II: Ghost to Cha-Cha in The Umbrella Academy. Dinah Washington knew Aretha Franklin as a girl. Aretha Franklin - Unforgettable - A Tribute To Dinah Washington After shed had nine gospel albums and no big hits, Hammond was at a loss as to what to offer her. Aretha Franklins voice is inimitable, but Hudson manages a fine tribute, raising goosebumps with her climatic performance of Amazing Grace, which someone in the editing room thought it would be a good idea to slap informational text cards on top of. Washington had a feeling that Franklin was destined for success. However, screenwriter Tracey Scott Wilson did make room for an incident from Etta Jamess life in her telling of the Aretha Franklin story. We had breakfast, and apparently I was very shy, Hudson says. 'A legend in her own right': Carolyn Franklin, Aretha's forgotten There was a lot more stuff that we showed in her childhood initially, but we just had to cut. Starring Academy-Award Nominee Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin.About National Geographic:National Geographic is the world's premium destination for science, exploration, and adventure. As Cecil told Ritz, she also hunkered down alone with the hi-fi, for hours at a stretch. (She also gives herself a cute cameo as a fan fawning over Aretha in a hotel lobby.) How True Is 'Respect'? Fact-Checking the Aretha Franklin Biopic In that scene, when she was walking down the stairs, we had a lot of encounters with her and different fans but which they had to cut for time.. Donaldson Collection/Getty Images For jazz singers of the ensuing generation, like Dianne Reeves, Franklin loomed as a north star. Who was Dinah Washington? And in that freedom, it was able to share itself as one of Franklins best kept secrets. "The idea of recording a tribute to her grew out of the way I've always felt about her. On December 14, 1963, Dinah Washington's sixth husband, football great Dick 'Night Train' Lane, found her in bed and not responsive. She was in the front row. All the drafts had it because obviously, her father was huge in the movement, Scott Wilson said. There's some incredible footage of Franklin performing "Skylark" and other songbook fare, like "Lover Come Back to Me," on The Steve Allen Show in 1964. When I saw her in the dressing room getting her makeup done, I actually saw Aretha and Im sure [Aretha] would be happy.. It's not known whether this incident actually happened or not. Scott Wilson wished she could have included them more. The Grammy and Tony Award winning Erivowhos also a Golden Globe and Oscar nomineestars as Franklin and puts to great use not only her acting chops but also her powerful voice. Dismissing the documentary in 1999 in her memoir, she told Ritz, When I saw what had been done in one section of the film, I was appalled. She went on, referring to the gospel singer Clara Ward, One of the cameramen kept shooting straight up underneath Claras dress. Her musical trajectory, in a typical bit of showbiz reductionism, often gets framed in prodigal terms: She was forged by gospel fires, and lost her way in songbook razzle-dazzle until leaving Columbia for Atlantic Records, where a stripped-down, soul-forward style reconnected her with her sanctified roots. These slavishly formulaic crowd-pleasers cram the messy, often contradictory lives of artists into a template as rigid as the verse-chorus-verse format of a pop song. Alas, Bryant does not appear in the first episode, but viewers immediately get . But it wasn't just singers, and it wasn't just that generation. opens with a Steve Allen joint, "This Could Be the Start of Something. Dinah Washington was one of the most popular singers of her generation, and was dubbed the "Queen of the Blues". But the real story of the Queen of Soul was one of much greater depth, great pain, and great discovery as she navigated her own power beyond the virtues of her church upbringing, and then later the vices of fame. The Queen of Soul had the greatest voice in the world, but to get to the joy, Aretha Franklin had to connect her pain to her music. "), Nor did Franklin leave jazz behind during her celebrated run on Atlantic. Obama told the New Yorker in 2016: When [Aretha] sits down at a piano and sings A Natural Woman, she can move me to tears the same way that Ray Charless version of America the Beautiful will always be in my view the most patriotic piece of music ever performed because it captures the fullness of the American experience, the view from the bottom as well as the top, the good and the bad, and the possibility of synthesis, reconciliation, transcendence.. With that in mind, I decided to open with her big hit, Unforgettable, James recalled. And boom: Respect. She handpicked Hudson, a move that set music as the center of the movie but risked the appearance that Hudsons depiction might be too dependent on Franklins own self-image. In 1992, her version of 'Mad About the Boy' had a resurgence in popularity after it was used in a Levi's advert. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. I dont remember the singer who did it to her but that incident happened to Etta James.. Her Columbia output leaned into jazz as a signal of adult-pop sophistication, but also as an unforced affinity, less formative than the black church but just as inextricable, and maybe almost as deep. You're sure to read, in every good obituary of Franklin, that she grew up around jazz in Detroit. Carolyn died in April, a week after her graduation, at 43 years old. Picture: Getty Since her youth Franklin had admired Dinah Washington, and it's a safe bet that the level of emotional commitment Washington brought to her work was a major influence on the blossoming style of Aretha, not to mention Washington's effortless sense of swing. I didnt even get to the chorus when I heard this earth-shattering crash. Franklin (Forest Whitaker), and her musical kinship with gospel great James Cleveland (Tituss Burgess). "They were tremendous. "This Bitter Earth" is a 1960 song made famous by rhythm and blues singer Dinah Washington and written and produced by Clyde Otis. Franklin (top), and Marlon Wayans as her husband Ted White (bottom centre). The sessions were recorded in New York. You can try, 'I Just Feel Like Myself': A Nonbinary Child And Their Family Explore Identity, We Asked, You Answered: The Best Places For Pie In Massachusetts, A Reading List On Race For Allies Who Want To Do Better, Elevational And Ecstatic, Documentary 'Amazing Grace' Showcases An Aretha Franklin Performance Of A Lifetime. The Jazz Side Of The Soul Queen : NPR "And when my life is over / Remember when we were together / We were alone / And I was singing this song to you.". Franklin's connection to Washington dated back to her childhood, and she even paid tribute to the blues icon with the tribute album Unforgettable in 1964. This song was recorded at the same time as the other tunes and is the only song not released on the original album. But through his interviews with members of her family, Ritz unearths invaluable insight about her musical moorings. Aretha Franklin was about a month shy of her 20th birthday when she appeared for a week at The Village Gate in late February of 1962. By showing a young Aretha as the victim of sexual assault and attributing her parents breakup to her fathers own impregnating of a 12-year-old girl in his congregation, potential explanations of her childhood trauma are revealed but do not dominate its depiction. Aretha's rendition as wel. Aretha Franklin was about a month shy of her 20th birthday when she appeared for a week at The Village Gate in late February of 1962. Photograph: Quantrell D Colbert. Here, stage and screen veteranand a Juilliard-trained musician herselfPauletta Washington portrays Rachel Franklin. Was Inspired By Mary J. Blige to Record. What she does is riveting, bordering on sublime. ". Otherwise timid or thankful, Franklin (Jennifer Hudson) responds to Washingtons probing about the paternity of her sons, the first born when she was only 12, with a mix of incredulity and imposing silence. The true story behind the Respect movie confirms that Aretha Franklin's parents, Barbara and C. L. Franklin, separated in 1948, mainly due to C. L.'s perpetual infidelities, in addition to C. L. fathering a daughter to a 12-year-old girl. Franklin was wearing an embellished gold gown, a fabulous, inordinate fur coat and large diamond earrings. Who was Jerry Wexler? Respect: Mary J. Blige Said Jennifer Hudson Playing Aretha Franklin Was A No-Brainer, I just think the word genius is thrown around a lot, not necessarily when its true, Scott Wilson said. But I also saw that she had enough poise and experience to sing standards." Once you've watched this on-screen portrayal of the life of the musical legend, see what the cast of the series looks like in modern times. Still, it's hard to capture the extent of this contact in passing. Talk about bad taste! (Franklin would later say her aversion to its release had nothing to do with its content, which she claimed to have loved.) Her disdain for the project led her to sue repeatedly to block its release, though it finally found its way to theaters a few months after her death in 2018. When Washington attends a Franklin performance in a club, Franklin begins performing one of Washingtons songs. Not even Aretha Franklin, a true disciple, could replicate Washington's carnal delight when singing about men. Franklin took offense at Respect, which she pronounced "a trashy book." The series portrays the actual people in Franklins life, from her talented sisters and formidable father to her collaborators and romantic partners, all played by modern stars including Courtney B. Vance, David Cross, and Rebecca Naomi Jones. Her jazz influences were close at hand, as a pianist as well as a vocalist. Laughing on the Outside, released in 1963, opens with a spectacular reading of the Hoagy Carmichael standard "Skylark," set at a swaying tempo, with an inspired, jolting octave leap in the final pass of the verse. Photograph: Quantrell D Colbert/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. With the help of her husband Ted White (played by Marlon Wayans) Franklin spent the 1960s building her career, signing with Jerry Wexler (Marc Maron) at Atlantic Records. Scott Wilson said earlier drafts of the film included more of Franklins Civil Rights work, but they had to be cut for time. Franklin (Forest Whitaker) and her abusive first husband and manager Ted White, strikingly well-played by Marlon Wayans. hide caption. She was tragically pronounced dead at the scene, aged just 39. Featuring "What a Diff'rence a Day Made . Their relationship isnt always easy, but some of the series best scenes come from watching Vance and Erivo play out the Franklin family dynamics. Respect is good enough that you wish it were better. Part of what I remember is her tribute to Prince, who had died about a week earlier. Washington allegedly began to criticize Franklin for the mess in the room, which rubbed Franklin the wrong way. Right after Amazing Grace, the epochal double album often hailed as her consummate masterpiece, she enlisted producer Quincy Jones for Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky), a fascinating mixed bag of an album that includes an uptempo romp through "Moody's Mood for Love," the Eddie Jefferson vocalese of a James Moody ballad. Genius: Aretha (The Art Tatum/Dinah Washington Episode) - J.B. Spins Theres a scene about 35 minutes into Liesl Tommys new, must-see Aretha Franklin biopic Respect in which an angry Dinah Washington (played by Mary J Blige) dramatically turns over a table in a New York jazz bar because her family friend, Aretha Franklin (played by Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson), dares to cover her hit This Bitter Earth on stage. The sessions were recorded in New York. Aretha's father, the Rev. Unforgettable - A Tribute To Dinah Washington LP, Album, Limited Edition, Numbered, Reissue, Stereo , Crystal Clear Vinyl Music On Vinyl - MOVLP2970 , Columbia - CS 8963 Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington: Aretha Franklin: CD: 11: US 1995; Columbia (Sony Music, worldwide except JP; formerly owned by CBS between 1938-1990 within US/CA/MX) CK 66201: 074646620120: Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington (expanded edition) Columbia was trying to make her into a jazz vocalist, but Jerry Wexler at Atlantic saw her as a soul singer all the way. Here, he plays C.L. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Hudson with Forest Whitaker as Franklins father in Respect., Cynthia Erivo as the singer in Genius: Aretha.. In 2021, the Academy Award winner played legendary singer Dinah Washington in the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect. The other day a friend of mine called musical biopics superhero movies for boomers and theres no way I can top that. It's that kind of work: Ms. Franklin's performance makes it timeless. Aretha Franklinlived such a monumental life, you couldn't possibly fit it all into a movie. She shared some additional Aretha Franklin stories that didnt make it into the movie, and one she pulled from Etta James life. The pianist who accompanies her is Art Tatum (the actor playing him is uncredited); Aretha passes through the party to greetings from Dinah Washington (Mary J. Blige), and she, in turn, is heard . In the new Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, Dinah Washington is played by soul legend Mary J Blige. All rights reserved. Here, hes portrayed by Richardson, who fans will recognize from True Blood, The Newsroom, and Dear White People. Respect has two hours and 25 minutes to show viewers sides of Aretha Franklin they never knew. The musical numbers alone make Respect worth watching, with Jennifer Hudson up to the formidable task of playing Aretha Franklin, belting her heart out in an otherwise boilerplate Hollywood product. Viewers get to see how Franklins hit Respect came to be, beginning with a shonky studio and a motley, albeit talented, group of musicians in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and how her stage performances were inspired by her abusive relationship with her husband. The best scenes of Respect showcase the craft behind the art, like a contagiously jubilant bit in which Aretha and her sisters crowd around the piano re-arranging a certain Otis Redding song at three oclock in the morning. The film follows Franklin from her childhood in Detroit to the triumphant live recording of her seminal Amazing Grace album in 1972, covering 20 years too tumultuous to comfortably fit within the running time of a feature film. For many, Franklins name is synonymous with the no-nonsense voice that lilted across several octaves for several decades, all while asking for a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T from the controlling men around her. On Genius, Washington is played by. That makes it a 'must-have' and a record that is once again 'current.' Not quite but it did happen at someone else's show. There was a bunch of other stuff, scenes with the sisters that we had to cut, Scott Wilson said. Many of the songs, you may recognize, are her current hits.". Aretha Franklin - This Bitter Earth (Columbia Records 1964) In their own way and to varying degrees of success, each struggles with how best to showcase her as a singular artist while expanding our understanding of a woman so intent on privacy. Aretha Franklin on her 1964 album, Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington, Eydie Gorm on the 1964 album Eydie Gorm canta en Espaol con Los Panchos, Freddy Fender recorded a version for his 1976 LP If You're Ever in Texas, Bobby Lewis (released on the single "Ace of Hearts 7622" in 1977), Cher performs the song in The Cher Show, Along with the compulsion to share Franklin's talent with the world, Allen had an ulterior motive: to get her to sing his tunes. Mainly a jazz singer, she also performed a wide variety of styles including blues, R&B, and pop music. If a stars around, you dont ever sing the stars songs. As Ann Powers put it in her eloquent tribute: "The beginning of Franklin's journey toward stardom, under the tutelage of John Hammond at Columbia Records, offers another set of lessons, this time in adaptability, elegance and craft.". This anecdote from the movie never actually happened, but it was based on an event that actually did. "I first heard Dinah when I was just a kid," said Franklin, "back around the time she made 'Fat Daddy.' But she wasn't out of place at The Village Gate, nor really out of her element. Aretha would absorb it all. And because we arent quite sure if he is referring to her pregnancy, her mothers departure or something else, we applaud Arethas catharsis while wondering about the cause. Is The Diplomat Returning for a Season 2? As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. In the new Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, Dinah Washington is played by soul legend Mary J Blige. You want to take me on? says Washington as she pours herself a whisky before asking Franklin how many albums shes had. (This happened in short order: Her 1965 album Yeah!!! She said: Youre gonna win an Oscar for playing me, right?. What the Cast of Genius: Aretha Looks Like In Real Life We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. A musical moment from Respect, with, from left, Henry Riggs, Jennifer Hudson, Hailey Kilgore, Saycon Sengbloh, Alec Barnes, John Giorgio, Marc Maron and Joe Knezevich. Subscribe: http://bit.ly/NatGeoSubscribe National Geographic's Gen. This is perhaps why both Respect and Genius: Aretha felt compelled to include Pollacks shoot in their narratives. You got Joe Zawinul playing organ behind her, Kenny Burrell giving her that soft gentle touch on guitar, and [saxophonist David] Fathead [Newman] whispering in her ear. 'Respect' Summary, Ending & Incredible Journey of Aretha Franklin Here, get to know the characters and the actors who portray them. The new film Respect is one of three recent attempts to understand the artist. The film is timestamped with historical happenings such as the assassination of King in 1968 and the wrongful arrest of Angela Davis in 1970. He took pride in the music he played in the shop: all the hip modern jazz of the day, from Mingus to Miles to Monk. Washington puts a stop to that before Franklin gets to the chorus. "Respect" Gives Us an Aretha Franklin Without an Inner Life The Iconic Song The Notorious B.I.G. At the last count, she had 73 chart hits. He mentored King. The film highlights her complicated relationship with her father, C.L. She shared a bill there with pianist and composer Thelonious Monk, who like her was an indescribable talent a genius, in the fullest sense of the word recently signed to the roster of Columbia Records. I never got to know her personally in those days, though she and my father were good friends. So I gave it to Aretha instead.. "She's held onto the whole idea that nothing is outside her grasp, especially within the American tradition," he said. Hot Chocolate, 13 August 2021, 10:00 | Updated: 9 March 2022, 16:00. The duo met in New York in 2007, shortly after Hudson had won an Oscar for her role as Effie White in Dreamgirls. So it was never not in there. What the hell were you thinking? A Rockin' Good Way: The Rocky Relationship of Dinah Washington & Brook Initially there was more stuff showing King being mentored by C.L. Perhaps her most famous song was her recording of 'What a Diff'rence a Day Makes' in 1959. That performance was three years before her death. Scott Wilson said that happened to Aretha around the world. That was another parameter that really helped to focus the storytelling as well. The most thrilling sequence shows her and the Muscle Shoals Band taking a busy, unremarkable demo by one of Teds cronies and stripping it down to the swampy, sultry I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)., Few films in this genre have any patience for the creative process, often treating genius as something that occurs spontaneously. There's no question, listening back now, that jazz is an essential part of the swirling magic that Franklin creates in that moment. "And it's so strong, that sense of jazz being America's music at the time she was coming up.". So as a girl, Aretha had not only prodigious talent but also extraordinary access. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Carolyn's funeral took place at the New Bethel, like . Arrested Development star Cross plays Wexler, a music producer whos said to have coined the phrase rhythm and blues and who worked extensively with Franklin in the 1960s, producing hits like Respect for her.