Respect

August 11, 2014
In 1999, Grammy-winner and composer Ritz teamed with Franklin to pen her memoir, Aretha: From These Roots. Here he candidly provides a chronicle of the Queen of Soul’s rapid climb to fame. Franklin was four when the family moved to Detroit where her famous father, the pastor C.L. Franklin, who became a national gospel and preaching star at New Bethel Baptist Church. Moving year by year through Franklin’s life, Ritz traces her journey from her days as a teenage mother with two children and her early marriage in her 20s to her first record deal at Columbia, her towering success at Atlantic (where she recorded “Respect”), and her efforts to reestablish herself in the disco era. In Ritz’s admiring portrait, Franklin emerges as a woman who, though overwhelmed by fear and obsessed by control, is nevertheless the “ultimate survivor,” who continues to move forward with steely determination.

Starred review from September 15, 2014
A biography of the "Queen of Soul" by the co-author of her memoir, From These Roots (1999). Grammy winner and prolific music writer Ritz (co-author, with Maceo Parker: 98% Funky Stuff, 2013, etc.) explains that this book came about because of Franklin's refusal to discuss any aspect of her life that contradicts the image she has of herself. To correct the distorted portrait in her previous book, he draws on the accounts of family members and business acquaintances such as her longtime manager, Ruth Bowen, and Jerry Wexler, who produced her Atlantic recordings in the 1960s and '70s. The story begins with her father, a charismatic preacher who took her and her sisters from their Detroit home on the gospel music circuit when their talent became evident. The influence of gospel and the black church remained an indelible part of Franklin's music. At 18, she signed a record deal with Columbia, then the biggest label in the business. However, the Columbia approach never managed to capture the power of her music, and her insistence that her records include something for everyone was a marketing nightmare. Also, her then-husband, a shady character one of her friends describes as "a gentleman pimp," controlled her career until she left Columbia for Atlantic and broke into the popular awareness as an unmatched performer. But great success did nothing to alleviate her deep insecurities. Ritz draws on the memories of Franklin's sisters and her brother, Bowen, Wexler and others who were close to her to document her struggles-with her weight, with alcohol, and with the up-and-down business end of her career. As the years progressed, her hits became fewer and farther between, and her fear of flying caused her to cancel appearances. At the same time, Ritz fully praises Franklin's abundant musical gifts and her work for causes she believes in, including civil rights. An honest and genuinely respectful portrait of a true diva by a writer who feels the power of her art.

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from November 15, 2014

That voice, that presence. Aretha Franklin (b. 1942) has been dazzling audiences and performing magic in recording studios for over half a century. Along the way, she has encountered heartbreak and happiness, achieved global success, and defined divadom all while continuing to surprise fans with her marvelous voice and stunning performances. Grammy winner and four-time winner of the Gleason Music Book Award Ritz (Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye) collaborated with Franklin on an earlier book, Aretha: From These Roots, but feeling that there was more to the story, he has revisited Franklin 15 years later "in an attempt to reinterpret and expand her interpretation." The finished product is commendable for its depth, much of which comes from interviews with key figures and family members, as well as Ritz's highly readable, captivating style. It's a compelling record of the life of a musical titan and a fascinating picture of the process of recording some of the seminal popular music of our time. VERDICT The king of cowriters provides the queen of soul with the definitive biography, along with a healthy dose of reverence, reflection and, above all, R.E.S.P.E.C.T. [See Prepub Alert, 6/2/14.]--Bill Baars, Lake Oswego P.L., OR

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 15, 2014
With an outsize musical talent and a troubled family life, Franklin has worked to keep her painful history hidden and has poured everything into her singing. She was the gospel prodigy of the charismatic Baptist preacher C. L. Franklin; her mother separated from the family and died at an early age. Franklin started her career singing in the gospel circuit, one every bit as steeped in earthly temptations as any other genre, before moving into R & B. She was a legendand a young motherby her teens, eventually earning for herself the title of Queen of Soul, and she struggled to hold on to it through changes in popular music and challenges by younger singers. Despite tumultuous marriages, bouts with alcoholism and depression, and a reputation as a demanding diva, Franklin has maintained her stature on the strength of her talent and her support for civil rights. She has also been steadfast in protecting her image and her secrets, even in her biography, From These Roots (1999), ghostwritten by Ritz. Some 15 years later, this is his unauthorized attempt to get at the elusive Franklin, the one who so skillfully hid her pain in her music. Drawing on previous work and interviews with those close to Franklin, Ritz offers a portrait of a woman for whom faith and respect are essential.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)