25 Soulful Tips for Life from Aretha Franklin
By Kate Love
The Queen of Soul
Here are 25 quotes from 'natural woman' Aretha Franklin to help you gain confidence and demand R.E.S.P.E.C.T. in your life...
1. Being the Queen is not all about singing, and being a diva is not all about singing. It has much to do with your service to people. And your social contributions to your community and your civic contributions as well.
2. The man who gets me is getting one hell of a woman.
3. Music does a lot of things for a lot of people. It’s transporting, for sure. It can take you right back, it’s uplifting, it’s encouraging, it’s strengthening.
4. The man who gets me is getting one hell of a woman.
5. Every birthday is a gift. Every day is a gift.
6. Don’t say Aretha is making a comeback, because I’ve never been away!
7. I sing to the realists. People who accept it like it is.
8. If a song’s about something I’ve experienced or that could’ve happened to me it’s good. But if it’s alien to me, I couldn’t lend anything to it. Because that’s what soul is all about.
9. The love of my life? I’m much too young to answer that question.
10. I’ve always felt that rock and roll was very, very wholesome.
11. Everybody wants respect. In their own way, three-year-olds would like respect, and acknowledgment, in their terms.
12. I’ve never recorded anything I didn’t like.
13. Falling out of love is like losing weight. It’s a lot easier putting it on than taking it off.
14. I paid my dues; I certainly did.
15. I’m the lady next door when I’m not on stage.
16. Who hasn’t had a weight issue? If not the body, certainly the big head!
17. You cannot define a person on just one thing. You can’t just forget all these wonderful and good things that a person has done because one thing didn’t come off the way you thought it should come off.
18. It really is an honor if I can be inspirational to a younger singer or person. It means I’ve done my job.
19. Sometimes, what you’re looking for is already there.
20. We all require and want respect, man or woman, black or white. It’s our basic human right.
21. Women absolutely deserve respect.
22. Be your own artist, and always be confident in what you're doing. If you're not going to be confident, you might as well not be doing it.
23. People really don't have to give you anything, so appreciate what people give you.
24. I am doing what I love to do, and you cannot beat that, especially when the audience appreciates what you prepare for them. It's very, very gratifying.
25. If a song's about something I've experienced or that could've happened to me it's good. But if it's alien to me, I couldn't lend anything to it. Because that's what soul is all about.
Words by Kate Love
