Sam Cooke had a huge influence on me. He left the gospel field at one point and went into the secular, and he had this huge hit, 'You Send Me.' Irma, my older sister, and I heard 'You Send Me'… — Aretha Franklin Copy Share Image
As a very small girl, I listened to Charlie Parker and loved him and Max Roach and people like that. — Aretha Franklin Copy Share Image
Being the Queen is not all about singing, and being a diva is not all about singing. It has much to do with your… — Aretha Franklin Copy Share Image
Soul is a constant. It's cultural. It's always going to be there, in different flavors and degrees. — Aretha Franklin Copy Share Image
I certainly enjoy Usher, Beyonce, Chris Brown, and there is Fantasia; these people will be around a while. They've got it. They've got the… — Aretha Franklin Copy Share Image
Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart and I will love you. Forever, forever, we never will part. Oh, how I love you. — Aretha Franklin Copy Share Image
I just loved working with George Benson, whom I very much enjoy musically and as a person. — Aretha Franklin Copy Share Image
I sing to the realists, people who accept it like it is. I express problems. There are tears when it's sad and smiles when… — Aretha Franklin Copy Share Image
