She's got her God and she's got good wine, Aretha…

Tentatively I stood a great lump of wood on the chopping block and bought the axe down on it. It flew into two perfect…

— Helen Garner

As a kid, I was listening to Aretha Franklin, Etta James and hip-hop as well as music my parents were listening to, like Joni…

— Alanis Morissette

My years with Aretha Franklin have been very special, as were the years making records with Dionne Warwick. Other highlights include working with Janis…

— Clive Davis

I want to sing like Aretha Franklin. Before her I wanted the technical ability of Ella Fitzgerald.

— Lena Horne

To me, R&B means Aretha Franklin, who is otherworldly.

— Chris Cornell

Atlantic's Jerry Wexler believes first-rate records are made by first-rate voices. He certainly has worked with enough of them: Clyde McPhatter, Joe Turner, La…

— Jon Landau

As a child I always wanted to be a singer. The music my mother played in the house moved me - Aretha Franklin, Chaka…

— Mary J. Blige

Hey, I'm like Aretha Franklin, I don't get no R -S -P -E -C -T around here!

— Si Robertson

I love Aretha [Franklin] and I've loved her all my life. I think she's an incredible songstress, obviously. She consistently has had this incredible…

— Stevie Wonder

I'm very glad my mother didn't let me quit piano lessons at age 10. She said I wasn't old enough or good enough to…

— Condoleezza Rice

I'm telling the story, and if I can't tell the story, I'm not going to sing it. And if I don't agree with the…

— Sharon Jones

Find a beautiful piece of art. If you fall in love with Van Gogh or Matisse or John Oliver Killens, or if you fall…

— Maya Angelou

There's a video that's been floating around on YouTube where [Baz Luhrmann says], "We were looking for a guy that sounded like a young…

— Quindon Tarver

I'm not a singer, a walking instrument like Aretha Franklin. When you get an Iggy Pop record, you don't get "Iggy Sings." I am…

— Iggy Pop

Most importantly for me growing up, it was a spirituals, it was a gospels, it was James Cleveland, Aretha Franklin, Marion Williams; and then…

— Cornel West