--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being around people like Aretha Franklin…" description: "\"Being around people like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick and Roberta Flack...had a great impact on me as a singer, as a performer, as a ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/whitney-houston-4971_music_being-around-people-like-aretha-franklin_1799740.jpg" --- # Being around people like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight… ![“Being around people like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick and Roberta Flack...had a great impact on me as a singer, as a performer, as a musician.” quote by Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/whitney-houston-4971_music_being-around-people-like-aretha-franklin_1799740.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/whitney-houston-4971_music_being-around-people-like-aretha-franklin_1799740.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/whitney-houston-4971_music_being-around-people-like-aretha-franklin_1799740.jpg) > “Being around people like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick and Roberta Flack...had a great impact on me as a singer, as a performer, as a musician.” [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Surrounding yourself with talented mentors shapes your artistic growth and confidence. **In simple terms:** Great artists inspire and lift you up. Key Takeaway Seek mentorship from accomplished peers. Themes artistry influence growth Mood reflective motivational Type career personal development When to use this quote - studio sessions - live performances - collaborative projects Key Concepts musical heritage peer inspiration Questions to Reflect On - Who inspires your creative path? - How do you balance influence with authenticity? A Different Perspective Relying solely on mentors may limit personal originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) ## Related quotes > [Being around people like Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick and Roberta Flack, all these greats, I was taught to listen and observe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/being-around-people-like-aretha-franklin-and-gladys-knight-dionne/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [I cannot express how much music got me through lockdown. I re-discovered Roberta Flack, Smokey Robinson, and Aretha Franklin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miquita-oliver/i-cannot-express-how-much-music-got-me-through-lockdown-i-re/) [Miquita Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miquita-oliver/) > [Hey, I'm like Aretha Franklin, I don't get no R -S -P -E -C -T around here!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/si-robertson/hey-i-m-like-aretha-franklin-i-don-t-get-no-r-s-p-e-c-t-around-here/) [Si Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/si-robertson/) > [I know I'm not going to sing like Aretha Franklin or Elvis Presley or any of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-thorogood/i-know-i-m-not-going-to-sing-like-aretha-franklin-or-elvis-presley-or/) [George Thorogood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-thorogood/) > [People like me and Aretha Franklin and Joe Tex, we had predicted that inside of five years disco would be all over, that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/people-like-me-and-aretha-franklin-and-joe-tex-we-had-predicted-that/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [I've always been attracted to music, and women like Aretha Franklin, Beyonce, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald and Tina Turner showed the path, in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-mackie/i-ve-always-been-attracted-to-music-and-women-like-aretha-franklin/) [Pearl Mackie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-mackie/) > [I was told all my life to sing like Aretha Franklin, or Adele, cover myself with black clothing and show more soul, sing bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/netta-barzilai/i-was-told-all-my-life-to-sing-like-aretha-franklin-or-adele-cover/) [Netta Barzilai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/netta-barzilai/) > [I can't sing like Aretha Franklin as much as I wish I could. And I don't sing like Etta James and the Judds as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-shires/i-can-t-sing-like-aretha-franklin-as-much-as-i-wish-i-could-and-i-don/) [Amanda Shires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-shires/) > [I want to sing like Aretha Franklin. Before her I wanted the technical ability of Ella Fitzgerald.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-horne/i-want-to-sing-like-aretha-franklin-before-her-i-wanted-the-technical/) [Lena Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-horne/) > [If you want to be a singer or a performer or absolutely anything in the world that you want to do, I think you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perrie-edwards/if-you-want-to-be-a-singer-or-a-performer-or-absolutely-anything-in/) [Perrie Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perrie-edwards/) > [I'd sing with Roberta Flack in a taxi if you called up and said she'd be in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peabo-bryson/i-d-sing-with-roberta-flack-in-a-taxi-if-you-called-up-and-said-she-d/) [Peabo Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peabo-bryson/) > [It was a dream to be a singer/performer, but I never thought I had a chance or had a real shot; I never thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/it-was-a-dream-to-be-a-singer-performer-but-i-never-thought-i-had-a/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [I have a couple of all-time favorites: Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauryn-hill/i-have-a-couple-of-all-time-favorites-donny-hathaway-and-roberta/) [Lauryn Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauryn-hill/) > [Luther Vandross and I met in Roberta Flack's band. He was singing background, I was playing bass, and Roberta was beautiful. She's like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/luther-vandross-and-i-met-in-roberta-flack-s-band-he-was-singing/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [Listening to Roberta Flack, but I know you won't come back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-hot-chili-peppers/listening-to-roberta-flack-but-i-know-you-won-t-come-back/) [Red Hot Chili Peppers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-hot-chili-peppers/) ## More by Whitney Houston > [No one makes me do anything I don't want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/no-one-makes-me-do-anything-i-don-t-want-to-do/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [I'm every woman. It's all in me...Anything you want done baby, I do it naturally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/i-m-every-woman-it-s-all-in-me-anything-you-want-done-baby-i-do-it/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [I wanna run to you...ooowe. I wanna run to you...ooowe. Won't you hold me in your arms and keep me safe from harm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/i-wanna-run-to-you-ooowe-i-wanna-run-to-you-ooowe-won-t-you-hold-me/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [I feel so blessed to just have done what I had done. To be able to just use what God has given me is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/i-feel-so-blessed-to-just-have-done-what-i-had-done-to-be-able-to/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [I decided long ago never to walk in anyones shadow; if I fail, or if I succeed at least I did as I believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/i-decided-long-ago-never-to-walk-in-anyones-shadow-if-i-fail-or-if-i/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [I was aware of people staring at me. No one moved. They seemed almost in trance. I just stared at the clock in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/i-was-aware-of-people-staring-at-me-no-one-moved-they-seemed-almost/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [Sometimes you do have a good time. But when it gets to the point where you're sitting in your home and you're just trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/sometimes-you-do-have-a-good-time-but-when-it-gets-to-the-point-where/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [I believe the children are our future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/i-believe-the-children-are-our-future/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [I'm tired of people taking off their clothes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/i-m-tired-of-people-taking-off-their-clothes/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/i-m-either-my-best-friend-or-my-worst-enemy/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [Oh! Wanna dance with somebody. I wanna feel the heat with somebody. Yeah! Wanna dance with somebody. With somebody who loves me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/oh-wanna-dance-with-somebody-i-wanna-feel-the-heat-with-somebody-yeah/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [What's in your soul is in your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/what-s-in-your-soul-is-in-your-soul/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [If tomorrow was a judgment day and the Lord asked me what I did with my life, I would say, I spent with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/if-tomorrow-was-a-judgment-day-and-the-lord-asked-me-what-i-did-with/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [I believe that children are our future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/i-believe-that-children-are-our-future/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [I am not self destructive. I'm not a person who wants to die, I'm a person who has life and wants to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/i-am-not-self-destructive-i-m-not-a-person-who-wants-to-die-i-m-a/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) [Explore all 103 Whitney Houston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) ## More Music quotes > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I'm at the edge of the world, Where do I go from here? Do I disappear? Edge of the world, Should I sink or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bring-me-the-horizon/i-m-at-the-edge-of-the-world-where-do-i-go-from-here-do-i-disappear/) [Bring Me The Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bring-me-the-horizon/) > [I've seen a lot of people come out of Carol City, but I had this distinct vision for Carol City, just me coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-people-come-out-of-carol-city-but-i-had-this/) [Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/) > [When you listen to someone improvise, the notes that are played are only half the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-laws/when-you-listen-to-someone-improvise-the-notes-that-are-played-are/) Hubert Laws > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [ “Downloading's the same as what I used to do. I used to tape the charts of the songs I liked \[off the radio\]. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-gallagher/downloading-s-the-same-as-what-i-used-to-do-i-used-to-tape-the-charts/) [Liam Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-gallagher/) > [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/) [Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/) > [Each woman is like an instrument, waiting to be learned, loved, and finely played, to have at last her own true music made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/each-woman-is-like-an-instrument-waiting-to-be-learned-loved-and/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I want people to hear my lyrics and my melodies and say, 'That dude's in pain.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-moody/i-want-people-to-hear-my-lyrics-and-my-melodies-and-say-that-dude-s/) [Ivan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-moody/) > [I make dance music because I love to dance. But I want to think at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-make-dance-music-because-i-love-to-dance-but-i-want-to-think-at-the/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) [Browse all 55,293 Music quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Being around people like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick and Roberta Flack...had a great impact on me as a singer, as a performer, as a musician.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Whitney Houston" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/being-around-people-like-aretha-franklin-gladys-knight-dionne-warwick/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Music" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/being-around-people-like-aretha-franklin-gladys-knight-dionne-warwick/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/whitney-houston-4971_music_being-around-people-like-aretha-franklin_1799740.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/whitney-houston-4971_music_being-around-people-like-aretha-franklin_1799740.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/whitney-houston-4971_music_being-around-people-like-aretha-franklin_1799740.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Being around people like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick and Roberta Flack...had a great…” — Whitney Houston", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Whitney Houston", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Being around people like Aretha Franklin,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/being-around-people-like-aretha-franklin-gladys-knight-dionne-warwick/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/being-around-people-like-aretha-franklin-gladys-knight-dionne-warwick/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```