Pop/soul singer Franklin refuses to discuss publicly her private life. ``There are few singing stars who could get away with such a small degree of personal exposure and still retain their popularity,'' notes Bego ( Linda Gray ) of a woman whose pain and passion can be heard in songs that have earned her 14 Grammys in a career spanning three decades. Unfortunately, the author's interviews here with those close to the performer, such as Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler and Arista Records president Clive Davis, are so unrevealing that he focuses on Franklin's music rather than her personality, offering a discography and album-by-album analysis. There is a detailed discussion of Franklin's career, which began in Detroit in the 1950s when she sang gospel music in church, then progressed to jazz, blues and later soul and pop music styles. Readers will learn more about the ``queen'' in her recordings than in these pages. Photos not seen by PW. (Oct.)
Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul documents the beloved singing star's rocky personal life and internationally acclaimed show business career. An in-depth and frank examination of Aretha, this definitive biography traces her career from her beginnings as a twelve-year-old member of a church choir in the early 1950s, recording her first album at the age of fourteen, a major recording contract at eighteen, and stardom in her twenties, right up through her headline-grabbing 2010 health scare, to her triumphant return: singing to her cheering Detroit hometown fans in summer 2011.
This New York Times bestselling author's detailed research includes interviews with the most important people in Aretha's life, including record producers Jerry Wexler, Clyde Otis, and Clive Davis, her first husband, several of Franklin's singing star contemporaries, and a rare one-on-one session with Aretha herself.
Bego's portrayal of the singing sensation is done with clarity and neutrality. A no-holds-barred look at her roller coaster life, it takes her from two teenage pregnancies and an abusive first marriage, to drinking problems, battles with her weight, the murder of her father, and tabloid wars. This critically acclaimed, freshly updated biography will give readers a clear understanding of what makes Aretha Franklin the "Queen of Soul."
Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul documents the beloved singing star's rocky personal life and internationally acclaimed show business career. An in-depth and frank examination of Aretha, this definitive biography traces her career from her beginnings as a twelve-year-old member of a church choir in the early 1950s, recording her first album at the age of fourteen, a major recording contract at eighteen, and stardom in her twenties, right up through her headline-grabbing 2010 health scare, to her triumphant return: singing to her cheering Detroit hometown fans in summer 2011.
This New York Times bestselling author's detailed research includes interviews with the most important people in Aretha's life, including record producers Jerry Wexler, Clyde Otis, and Clive Davis, her first husband, several of Franklin's singing star contemporaries, and a rare one-on-one session with Aretha herself.
Bego's portrayal of the singing sensation is done with clarity and neutrality. A no-holds-barred look at her roller coaster life, it takes her from two teenage pregnancies and an abusive first marriage, to drinking problems, battles with her weight, the murder of her father, and tabloid wars. This critically acclaimed, freshly updated biography will give readers a clear understanding of what makes Aretha Franklin the "Queen of Soul."
Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul
Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul
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Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940169526653 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Brilliance Audio |
| Publication date: | 04/01/2012 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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