 Aretha Franklin She is a living legend, "Lady Soul", a natural woman who has inspired and influenced countless female vocalists the world over. The first female performer inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the winner of fifteen Grammy Awards, the recipient of the Grammy Legend Award in 1991, honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994 and countless other citations, awards and accolades, Aretha Franklin's career continues to gain momentum. One of the privileged few entertainers recognizable by first name only, she is Aretha, the undisputed, fully qualified. While Aretha's golden decade-plus of hits for Atlantic Records (1967-1979) established her as a superstar, her thirteen-year association with Arista Records has taken Aretha to new heights of international fame. The nine soul-filled albums she's recorded for the label have spawned close to thirty hit singles including across-the-board classics like "Freeway of Love", "Who's Zoomin' Who", and "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)", her 1987 duet with George Michael. Many if the highlights of Aretha's Arista years can be found on Greatest Hits (1980-1994) and as a testament to the continuing success she's had with the label, the collection includes three sizzling new tracks that team Aretha with some of today's hottest producers. Other career highlights have included a much acclaimed role in the 1980 movie "The Blues Brothers" and a Royal Command Performance for Queen Elizabeth II, while Aretha's voice has been designated a natural resource of the State of Michigan. When she's not taking care of her day-to-day, career-related activities ("I love the business aspects of the music business"), you're likely to find the Queen of Soul brushing up on her French, in the kitchen making one of her famous dishes for friends, family, and fellow entertainers, out fishing, dancing at a local Detroit niterie and, without doubt, watching her favorite soaps, "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful".
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