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mfunk9786 wrote: Mon Aug 13, 2018 6:21 pm Aretha Franklin's doctors and family expect her to pass away from cancer today

Fuck TMZ, they're a garbage parasitic shit show.

Report from late yesterday:

Aretha Franklin is surrounded by her loved ones and resting at home, a member of the iconic singer’s family tells PEOPLE.

“She’s alert, laughing, teasing, able to recognize people,” Franklin’s nephew Tim Franklin tells PEOPLE following the news of the 76-year-old star’s illness Monday.

“Family is there with her,” he said. “She’s home.”

“I saw her a week ago Friday and we talked for about 45 minutes to an hour. My brother was there on Saturday and she was alert, talking, laughing, joking,” Tim continued. “She’s watching TV, so god forbid she sees all of this ‘Aretha’s dead,’ so I don’t want to dampen her spirits on that.”

A friend of the artist has confirmed to PEOPLE that the singer has “been ill for a long time” and her loved ones have been warned her “death is imminent.”

However, her family is choosing to remain hopeful. Tim tells PEOPLE that while the singer “is sick,” her family is “trying to keep her spirits up and go from there.”

“We believe she’ll pull through it, she believes she’ll pull through it, and that’s the important thing,” he added.

“I saw her a week ago Friday and we talked for about 45 minutes to an hour. My brother was there on Saturday and she was alert, talking, laughing, joking,” Tim continued. “She’s watching TV, so god forbid she sees all of this ‘Aretha’s dead,’ so I don’t want to dampen her spirits on that.”

For someone who has strived for decades to keep her private life private, she is probably furious about all of this doomsaying and will recover just to spite every friend and family member who spoke publicly about her health.

This excellent longform piece in the New Yorker in 2016 wasn't intended as an obituary at the time, of course, but makes for essential reading today

I didn't realize she hadn't flown to perform for over 30 years because of anxiety, I always associate Aretha Franklin with that Aretha in Paris album cover for whatever reason.

Reactions from notable artists

Live at the Filmore, for me, is my favorite. She’s quite excited with Ray Charles plays. Of course the Atlantic stuff is the best.

Her description of the Blues Brothers in the first movie is always greeted with huge laughs when I’ve seen it live.

There's really no one in pop music with a command and voice that lives up to the description of "a force of nature." Every LP and 45 she recorded for Atlantic between 1967 and 1972 is worth having - a tremendous run of work.

I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You and Lady Soul are both essential to everyone. Aretha Now, Spirit In The Dark, Young, Gifted And Black, Amazing Grace, all masterpieces.

bearcuborg wrote: Thu Aug 16, 2018 6:17 pm Live at the Filmore, for me, is my favorite. She’s quite excited with Ray Charles plays. Of course the Atlantic stuff is the best.

Her description of the Blues Brothers in the first movie is always greeted with huge laughs when I’ve seen it live.

Her remake of "Think" in that film also beats the original.

hearthesilence wrote: Thu Aug 16, 2018 6:44 pm There's really no one in pop music with a command and voice that lives up to the description of "a force of nature." Every LP and 45 she recorded for Atlantic between 1967 and 1972 is worth having - a tremendous run of work.

I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You and Lady Soul are both essential to everyone. Aretha Now, Spirit In The Dark, Young, Gifted And Black, Amazing Grace, all masterpieces.

Agreed. That's one of the golden runs of soul and pop music, and way more diverse than a passing familiarity with the hits would lead you to believe. No self-respecting music collection is complete without at least a hits compilation from that era.

I only saw Aretha Franklin live once, in the early 90s, and didn't know exactly what to expect: How would she sound on that 60s stuff? Would the set be mostly her recent, generally mediocre work? It turned out she was sensational, and so was the setlist. There was only one song from outside the golden Atlantic period (the inevitable "Freeway of Love" - which is pleasant enough, but sounded extremely lightweight in the hallowed company of the rest of the set), and she covered just about every major hit from that era, plus some less obvious ones ('Angel', 'The Weight', 'Spirit in the Dark') and some deep-dish album cuts (a heady 'You Send Me'). The band was top notch, and faithful to those excellent original arrangements. Her voice was as good as it had ever been and she was still 100% invested in everything she sang. An amazing concert.

mfunk9786 wrote: Thu Aug 16, 2018 7:57 pm Fox News used a photo of Patti LaBelle in their tribute to Aretha Frankin

White House Honors Aretha Franklin By Not Releasing Official Statement On Her Death

And Jim Carrey takes his shot at winning the worst Aretha Franklin tribute of the day.

I think Fox easily wins this though.

I'm glad it brings him some sort of enjoyment, but man oh man is he awful at drawing/painting

After the Emma Stone thing, I'm not sure there's anything Jim Carrey can do that could possibly be cringier, but he sure gives it the good ol' college try with his art

Aretha Franklin's 20 Essential Songs from the New York Times

For anyone looking for latter day work outside of Who's Zoomin' Who (which some critics like Robert Christgau quite like), Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot recommended this one:

“One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism” (1987): Another gospel masterpiece that is easily the most intense and heartfelt set of performances from Franklin’s final three decades, even if slightly marred by some windy speeches and introductions.

hearthesilence wrote: Thu Aug 16, 2018 9:07 pm For anyone looking for latter day work outside of Who's Zoomin' Who (which some critics like Robert Christgau quite like), Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot recommended this one:

“One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism” (1987): Another gospel masterpiece that is easily the most intense and heartfelt set of performances from Franklin’s final three decades, even if slightly marred by some windy speeches and introductions.

That's the only latter-day album I listen to much. It's basically Amazing Grace 2, with Mavis Staples along for the ride.

Rayon Vert wrote: Thu Aug 16, 2018 7:26 pm

bearcuborg wrote: Thu Aug 16, 2018 6:17 pm Live at the Filmore, for me, is my favorite. She’s quite excited with Ray Charles plays. Of course the Atlantic stuff is the best.

Her description of the Blues Brothers in the first movie is always greeted with huge laughs when I’ve seen it live.

Her remake of "Think" in that film also beats the original.

Which she plays opposite Matt "Guitar" Murphy, who died just two months ago.

The story behind her last-minute substitution for Pavarotti at the Grammy Awards

Also you can watch the concert film of her 1968 Amsterdam show for free (temporarily) here. Great stuff, it's a shame no one's done a comprehensive collection of live films/videos from her peak years.

And Sydney Pollack's film documenting the recording of Amazing Grace may finally see release in the wake of Franklin's death.

Well if Ashanti had got ill, what would Ja Rule have done?

Besides the DOCNYC premiere, Sydney Pollack's Amazing Grace - the legendary but long-suppressed concert film that captured Franklin recording her landmark gospel album of the same name - will indeed get a theatrical run at Film Forum from Dec. 7-14.