How the Queen of Soul Inspired My Writing
Aretha Franklin, also known as The Queen of Soul, didn’t just inspire musicians. She was also an inspiration for writers. The many songs in her vast catalog of music detailed all aspects of love and as a Christian fiction author her life and music are a constant inspiration to me. I was saddened when I heard the news that Aretha Franklin passed away on August 16, but I know her spirt will live on in the music and words of the people she influenced.
Franklin had spunk in her life and music. There were many sad things that happened to her but she never let these negative experiences stop her from achieving musical goals. This healthy self-confidence was part of her life and spread over to the songs she wrote and performed. She didn’t let anybody disrespect her. Her signature song Respect became an anthem of women standing up for themselves. When she sang her song Think, she admonished the men in her life to think before they took action toward her. Franklin summed up so eloquently what I often wanted to say to the men in my life.
One of my favorite Franklin tunes is Jimmy Lee. It reminds me of young, passionate, love taking us all back to the bittersweet experiences of first love. The reality is that young love rarely works out but the warm feelings of these short-lived affairs stay in our hearts for a lifetime. We grow from these early relationships.
In her song Ain’t No Way she talks about sadness when a relationship goes south because a partner is unwilling. The unwillingness to share, to be open, to communicate and to love can destroy a relationship. The angst of a story often comes when characters are able to find a way to overcome these barriers. The song It Hurts Like Hell from the Waiting to Exhale movie soundtrack details the pain a woman goes through when she knows she must rebuild after a relationship ends. Franklin had gone through this cycle many times in her personal life.
I learned from Franklin had to weave notes from my personal life into my writing in a way that would appeal to readers. Franklin was an intensely private person and didn’t allow interviews to delve into her personal life. It was through her music that she revealed the sadness of her heart and the steps she took to overcome obstacles. Her songs contained an optimism with love. Listeners got a sense that Franklin had been hurt in love however she was willing to give love another chance.
When I decided to let my hair go natural 15 years ago Franklin’s You Make Me Feel Like (A Natural Woman was my anthem. When I did the big chop there was very little information out on natural hair. Youtube wasn’t big then and there wasn’t the plethora of products on the shelves that there is today. Listening to that song made me feel comfortable about my hair and my identity. Franklin was an outspoken supporter of civil rights and sported natural hair in her career.
My love of all things Franklin spilled over into my writing and I began to create strong characters that relied on their Christian faith and close contacts to get through tough situations. Her renditions of God Will Take Care of You and What A Friend We Have in Jesus speaks to the spirit and talks about how faith can get you through anything. I aim to infuse my writing with the same soul that Franklin transmitted through her music.
Franklin may be gone physically but her spirit lives on in her music and the life she led as an example to us all.