Mark Bego: Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul

By GRAHAM REID

Hats off to Bego for even attempting a biography of the most problematic and seminal of soul queens who, as much as Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, became synonymous with a style of music and long ago won her place in the history of popular music.

Through interviews with those who know, or knew, her a sympathetic account of her life emerges along with an appreciation of her bridging the spiritual and secular world to help create what became known as soul music, a much devalued term today when any r'n'b belter can ululate cheap emotion into something readily mistaken as emotional intensity.

This easy-to-read and updated reprint of his 1989 bio allows a rare insight into the difficult world of Aretha who turns 60 this month and is still the undisputed queen of soul.

Da Capo

$54.95