The Queen of Soul calls it quits

Well, a change is gonna come: Aretha Franklin has announced that she’s leaving the building at year’s end.The Queen of Soul won’t be leaving us empty-handed — she just won’t be performing in concert anymore. After her 56 years straight of performing,...

The Queen of Soul calls it quits

Well, a change is gonna come: Aretha Franklin has announced that she’s leaving the building at year’s end.

The Queen of Soul won’t be leaving us empty-handed — she just won’t be performing in concert anymore. After her 56 years straight of performing, it’s a decision you have to R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Franklin first started out singing gospel in the mid-1950s, then turned to secular music in the ’60s with hits like “Chain of Fools,” “I Say a Little Prayer” and “Natural Woman.”

She’s not done bringing the world fresh beauty and joy: She’s dropping a new album of original music, produced in part by Stevie Wonder, this year. “I’m exuberant about it,” she said. “I can’t wait to get in the studio.”

After that, though, she means to spend more time with her grandchildren and limit herself to a few select things, she told Detroit TV station WDIV Local 4, the city’s NBC affiliate.

“I feel very, very enriched and satisfied with respect to where my career came from and where it is now,” said Franklin, who’ll turn 75 this year. “I’ll be pretty much satisfied, but I’m not going to go anywhere and just sit down and do nothing. That wouldn’t be good either.”

And that, folks, is how to drop the mic.

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