The “Queen of Soul” left an enduring mark on the civil rights and women’s rights movements. We want you to tell us how her songs made you feel.
It’s a hook you can’t forget, whether you heard it on the airwaves, as antiwar protests and riots raged across the United States, or on a wedding dance floor or at a karaoke bar decades later.
Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” released in April 1967, bolstered the civil rights movement and gave a voice to the women’s rights movement. And it made Ms. Franklin, who died Thursday at 76, a superstar.
She went on to have 20 No. 1 R&B hits, including “Chain of Fools,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and “Freeway of Love,” and in 1987 she became the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “I guess everybody just wanted a little respect,” Ms. Franklin told Rob Hoerburger for The New York Times Magazine in 2011 when he asked her why the song resonated so much with listeners. We want to hear from you. How did Aretha Franklin’s music influence you? Leave your response in our comments section, along with your name, age and location; read our comments FAQ here to get started. We may use your response in a future article.
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