Aretha Franklin Kennedy Center Honors 1994 The Four Tops Levi Stubbs Patti LaBelle, Arthur Mitchell

[Applause] ladies and gentlemen a 1993 kennedy center honoree arthur mitchell [Applause] good evening ladies and gentlemen i'm here tonight for a very special reason to pay tribute to an artist who's been called the pop diva but in the world of dance and putting it my way aretha franklin we would say you are prima ballerina absoluta [Applause] to listen to her sing you see the tears when it's sad the smiles when it's happy and the courage to show her feelings both sacred and profane it was another kennedy center honoree miss lena horn who said inside every woman there's an aretha franklin screaming to get out with natural woman and respect aretha was bearing witness to a woman's dignity and strength this was a woman who could be hurt but never ever helpless who could no pain but never lose her pride she lives in one song more than most people live in a lifetime in an age of cool aretha you made cool hot i was told once that man can make a first of the seconds but only god can make a first of the first and aretha you are number one hers is a voice called down from heaven soulful jubilant and divine [Music] her sound is steep in the gospel of detroit's new bethel baptist church where her father was the preacher at eight she possessed a voice beyond her years already a church soloist she starred in her father's nationally acclaimed revival tours reverend c l franklin loved every kind of music and opened his home to the biggest names in black music from jazz pop and the blues aretha took it all in but the pop world won her over at 18 she was ready to try her wings [Music] the know-it-alls of new york's record industry tried to reign in her voice they bleached out what was black and unique and aretha was lost in a place of pretty songs okay she started all over again only this time she would do it her way my friends keep telling me [Music] but of a new kind of music and overflowing with life [Music] she stalked her songs until she had them down to the bone you should understand then she imbued them with gospel improvisation and the slow circling rhythm of the blues just [Music] her songs were blockbuster million sellers then came the prideful shout that marked a defining point of the 1960s [Music] it catapulted her from pop singer to icon and the song became the anthem of a [Music] generation what set her apart and what drew us to her was the natural abandon with which she delivered her make feelings feel like a natural woman 50 albums 15 grammys this glory of american music put our indelible signature on our times [Music] phone jazz and rock into a new thing we call it aretha [Applause] ladies and gentlemen the four tops [Music] that's why i love you [Music] myself we love you and [Music] nobody thank you so much especially one of your favorite songs for our favorite people hope you enjoy [Music] i believe in you and me i believe that we will be in love eternally [Music] as far as i can see you will always be there [Music] for me oh yes you will i believe in dreams again i truly do i know that true love will never end [Music] and like the river vines [Music] i was lost now i'm free we truly believe in you and me i believe in miracles and love's a miracle aretha you're a dream come true now i'm free we truly believe in you i was lost [Music] now we're free i believe in you and me [Music] are you ready ruth's father was not just the minister of her church he was known as the man with the million-dollar voice aretha's korean song began in his choir and tonight her friends from the new bethel baptist church choir have come from detroit to salute her and to take us back to where she began [Music] uh [Music] [Music] come on we're gonna turn come on [Music] can't stop crazy ladies and gentlemen patty labelle thank you so very much aretha dear out of all the songs you recorded i love them all but my favorite is ain't no way and i also want you to know i love you so much and you are my hero thank you [Music] ain't no way for me to learn you [Music] if you won't let [Music] me [Music] if you won't let me [Music] if [Music] me [Music] who thinks he's paid too much [Music] ain't no way [Music] to love you [Music] no no no no no no no [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] is [Music] [Applause] wow you

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Length: 17min 37sec (1057 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 16 2021