大象传媒

Following the sad death of the great Aretha Franklin on 16th August, Paul Sexton introduces episode one of an in-depth profile of the highly talented and influential vocalist, first broadcast in 2011.

Few artists can claim to have invented a musical style. Aretha Franklin was too modest and understated to say so, but she played a major role in creating modern R'n'B, and her singing technique is imitated by many 21st century performers.

The guest list of contributors across the two programmes shows the kind of esteem in which she's held by fellow musicians and admirers: Elton John, George Michael, Dionne Warwick, Ben E King, Jennifer Hudson, Michael McDonald, record mogul Clive Davis, producer Narada Michael Walden and many others, all help explain exactly what made "Lady Soul" unique.

Episode 1, follows the young artist's journey from the church to the charts, singing in her father's church in Detroit and on the road, even after becoming a teenage single parent. Paul considers her often-overlooked time Columbia Records, where Aretha showed her versatility as an interpreter of gospel and secular compositions.

Then the story moves to Atlantic Records, for whom Aretha signed in late 1966 and, where she truly found her voice. Rick Hall, co-founder of FAME Studios, describes how she travelled south and went about creating her first two Atlantic gems, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) and Do Right Woman - Do Right Man: "I don't think she uttered a word except 'I need to use the bathroom,' or 'How you doing?' he says. As her body of work on Atlantic expanded, with such all-time classics as Respect and Chain of Fools, Franklin's fellow artists knew they were listening to a truly great artist.

Part 2 will be broadcast on Sunday 26th August at 0100.