Here's why Aretha Franklin always carried a handbag on stage

The late, great Aretha Franklin will be remembered for many things: her powerhouse voice, her influence, her legendary style … and the fact she was never far from her handbag.

At countless red carpet appearances and shows over the years, the Queen of Soul was seen placing her large purse somewhere nearby as she took the requisite photo or finished up her set.

In fact, during the performance in 2015 at the Kennedy Center Honors which left then-President Barack Obama in tears, Franklin even brought her handbag on stage, placing it high atop the piano as she belted out You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman).

While the accessories she chose were always designer, it was actually what was inside the bag that was really interesting: Cash. Loads and loads of cash.

Both a fabulous accessory and helpful moneybox. Photo / Getty Images

In a 2016 profile, The New Yorker's editor David Remnick wrote about the real reason Franklin kept it so close by.

He explained that during a visit backstage at her concert, he noticed there were "small stacks of hundred-dollar bills" on the counter in front of her, "next to her makeup and hairbrush".

"She collects on the spot or she does not sing," Remnick wrote.

"The cash goes into her handbag and the handbag either stays with her security team or goes out onstage and resides, within eyeshot, on the piano."

Franklin's close friend, TV host and author Travis Smiley, explained to the New Yorker that it was due to "the era she grew up in."

"She saw so many people, like Ray Charles and B.B. King, get ripped off … There is the sense in her very often that people are out to harm you. And she won't have it. You are not going to disrespect her," Smiley said.

Franklin passed away last week at the age of 76, leaving behind an estimated fortune of $US80 million ($AU109 million) — or by her measure, a lot of handbags full of cash.

Her death sparked an outpouring of grief and tributes on Twitter — and plenty of nods to her lifelong commitment to stylish accessories, including this perfect thread:

An accessory style icon
Aretha Franklin & her purse a thread: pic.twitter.com/fgHbSWTZbq

— Shelton Griffith (@flyrebel) August 16, 2018

She loved a good louis too (shoutout to Marc Jacob’s LV... we miss you) pic.twitter.com/XY7ZADZo9m

— Shelton Griffith (@flyrebel) August 16, 2018

Like your favorite auntie... carrying her bag around everywhere, even on stage pic.twitter.com/BEpyGw90bU

— Shelton Griffith (@flyrebel) August 16, 2018

Pretty in pink!!!!!! (And yet again an iconic fur) pic.twitter.com/7d56aZce47

— Shelton Griffith (@flyrebel) August 16, 2018