Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin

The author filled this book with innuendo, insinuation, and gossip. Apparently, he didn't fact-check things that could have been verified, like whether Donald Burk was the father of Miss Franklin's son. There is no mention of any attempt to locate Mr. Burk, or to interview him. This book disrespects its subject, and is a testament to David Ritz's spite and malice.

As Ms Franklin has repeatedly proclaimed, this book really is a pack of trash and LIE$$$. David Ritz conveniently waited until all his "inside sources" (her siblings, Jerry Wexler, John Hammond, James Cleveland, Luther etc) were all dead, so none of their controversial "quotes" could be confirmed. Why were there so few quotes (all of which happened to be completely flattering) from the living Smokey Robinson, who is very close to Aretha?

There were plenty of errors and omissions that any long time Franklin fan like myself could have pointed out.
It's clear that Ritz had not closely followed her career until that late 1980s, at the time his writing career began to take off. At this point when Franklin's voice was in major decline he started attending her concerts. He barely even referred to her tragic vocal problems which were all too well known by any Franklin fan. He strongly praised a video she released during that era which was recorded @ Park Place in Chicago. It remains the worst Franklin show I have ever seen. I still can not imagine who allowed this video to be released.

Any objective, thorough critic would not have casually dismissed all the music from "La Diva", "Sweet Passion", "With Everything I Feel", "Let Me In Your Life", and "You", all of which was recorded when Aretha's voice was clearly in its magnificent prime. Many of those tracks are criminally (but conventionally) overlooked and are far superior to the Luther sessions which the author was so enchanted by (no doubt d/t the fact he had access to LV.) Whenever Ritz interviewed a celebrity about Aretha , inevitably a generous slant on said celebrity's work or positive influence on Aretha shortly follows some scandalous revelation.

Ritz relishes petty tales and negativity that could be drummed up out of any of our lives were we famous enough to inspire a book. Meanwhile he neglected much of the majesty of her work and life. Some dirt is always fun but this book is just a pile of **it.
I thought David Ritz's book on Marvin Gaye was amazing and enjoyed at least four of his other co-written books where frankness merged with restraint. I admit that there is too much Aretha information included here for a true fan to ignore "Respect" but it's painful that Ritz's personal bitterness permeates so much of it.

Read Anthony Heilbut's "The Fan Who Knew Too Much" for an enlightened outlook on Ms Franklin. It was referenced in Ritz's book but inexplicably left out of the index.

Just as thwarted Aretha ghostwriter David Ritz's unauthorized bio was hitting bookstores, the Queen of Soul gave it some extra publicity by denouncing it as trash and threatening to get her lawyers involved.

But as you read this remarkable tome, you learn that Aretha habitually ponders legal action for various imagined slights. She was furious when a Time magazine cover story included a few unflattering remarks, and when Steely Dan namechecked her in "Hey Nineteen." Call the lawyers! she screamed, before wiser souls in her circle risked their livelihoods by telling her to calm down. In reality, Aretha was frequently on the wrong end of lawsuits, sued for backing out of engagements, or pursued by the IRS and creditors for not paying her bills.

"Respect" has a lot of juicy details, but the title is more than just a nod to her best known song. David Ritz writes in his usual elegant way with the utmost respect for this, ahem, larger-than-life legend. Inevitably, you will put the book down in a few places and head to your stereo or to Youtube to play some Aretha, as he shines new light on her musical craft. In my case, I took a Youtube break to watch her 1971 concert at the Fillmore West and the trailer for the unreleased film shot for her "Amazing Grace" gospel album. David Ritz describes both in vivid detail.

I wouldn't call him a fanboy, but there are few writers who are so enamored of and knowledgable about Aretha as David Ritz who, I guess, won't be on Aretha's Christmas card list this year, or ever again. He collaborated with her on her memoir "From These Roots," which he basically admits was her idealized fantasy. It wasn't his fault. She made stuff up, and kicked him out of the editing process. The book was a flop, and the nightmare has haunted him ever since. "Respect" is his opportunity to set the record straight.

The main takeaway from this book is Aretha is a fighter, constantly hungry for the next big hit, and she will crush you if you get in her way. She is insecure as hell, but also generous and politically mindful.

Aretha is quite batty. She is a huge fan of "The Young and the Restless," which may explain why she has fake boyfriends. They either do not exist, or they are one-sided fantasies (as in the case of Tavis Smiley). She devours Gourmet magazine, and eats like a horse. She has atrocious fashion sense, and is clueless about money - though we don't learn about that until page 319. She was a sex fiend in her early teens, and a mother of two sons before she turned 15. Her single dad was also a horny toad, but emerges quite favorably. One of her two sisters was a lesbian.

Both of her sisters were talented singers in their right, but Aretha basically killed their fledgling careers. She would not tolerate any rivals, and so singers as diverse as Mavis Staples, Natalie Cole, Gladys Knight, and Whitney Houston all suffered rude behaviour at some point. She HATED labelmate Roberta Flack, and was angry when another labelmate, Dusty Springfield, had a big hit with "Dusty in Memphis."

As huge as she was, Aretha could have been bigger, but she made some really stupid decisions. The Beatles gave her first crack at their unrecorded new song "Let It Be." But she considered the Mother Mary reference to be a little Catholic, so passed on it. She turned down collaborations with the likes of Barry Gibb, and Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards. So they took their talents elsewhere, and songs like "Guilty" and "Upside Down" became hits for Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross, respectively. Producers who did work with her, like Luther Vandross and Jerry Wexler, bore the brunt of her bullying tactics.

Wexler, who was actually one of the music industry's nastiest villains, is one of the key sources here. The others include Aretha's four siblings, and a cousin. Perhaps the most insightful quotes come from her long-suffering booking agent Ruth Bowen. Billy Preston provides typically flamboyant color, particularly in the Sex Circus chapter. All are dead now. The siblings deserve their own book, as does Ruth Bowen. Notable absentees include Clive Davis, Quincy Jones, and Aretha's former husbands and lovers. It would have been nice to find out the terms of her divorce from first husband Ted White.

I really only fault the book for its frequent references to Jet magazine when we have already learned that the black-targeted publication printed puff pieces at Aretha's command. David Ritz also quotes a lot from Billboard, which is staffed by pliable folks whose single and album reviews are a joke. I haven't checked, but I imagine Playboy and Rolling Stone might have written some worthy stuff - though we do learn quite quickly that Aretha is a lousy interview. The last few chapters are basically a listing of friends and family who died, and tidbits from very erratic concerts. I lose count of the number of references to her fear of flying. But he is pretty brave discussing her weight, albeit in fairly diplomatic tones.

Oddly, David glosses over the deaths of both Aretha's mother and Sam Cooke, who was apparently one of Aretha's many Humbert Humberts. We learn that sister Carolyn was kicked out of the family home as a teenager, just as she was getting turned on to girls, but David does not quite establish a connection there. We also learn little about Aretha's sons, who were mostly raised by their great-grandmother in Detroit while she was living it up in New York. He does dispute ancient rumors that one of them was fathered through incest. You can go to the Internet and find some salacious gossip about them, and about her second husband. It would have been nice to get some clarity in this book. Maybe the lawyers vetoed some passages.

A few small errors. It's Queen Beatrix, not Queen Beatrice. Jimmy Carter's inaugural was not in 1976, and the C.L. Franklin sermon is described first as "The Eagle Stirreth THE Nest" and then as "The Eagle Stirreth HER Nest."

Apart from that, make "Respect" your next reading assignment.

Aretha is my very favorite female singer and yet her behavior during the several live appearances I've attended has been insulting beyond belief, as she phones it in and gets off stage as soon as possible. I finally understand from this book why Aretha's concerts are so helter-skelter and why she is so rude to her fans. David Ritz has done a great job of explaining the origins of Aretha's quirks, but he is hampered by the fact that his subject did not cooperate. He describes what shaped the woman--her early life, her relationships with her family and managers, and the world of gospel music. He furnishes wonderful quotes from Aretha's deceased siblings and her managers, presumably garnered from his work with Aretha on her allegedly dishonest autobiography some years ago. Yet the book suffers from dullness by marching resolutely through Aretha's life in chronological order, cataloguing her every recording and concert. The last few chapters of his book are solely a boring recount of what Aretha did most recently.. Was Ritz trying to make his deadline? His evasiveness about Aretha's failure to show at Whitney's funeral and her own recent illness are huge omissions. His book on Marvin Gaye is a classic and is much better than this one.

The first book about Aretha Franklin’s life, 1999’s ARETHA: FROM THESE ROOTS, was ghostwritten by David Ritz, a writer whose impressive credentials include collaborations with Ray Charles, B. B. King, Etta James and Smokey Robinson. His work is impeccable, and his established contacts within the music industry run deep. So his introduction to RESPECT: The Life of Aretha Franklin is particularly interesting as he explains the rationale for this book to Aretha: “You’re an important historical figure; others will inevitably come along to tell your story. That’s the blessing and burden of being a public figure.”

Aretha does not give Ritz her permissionor her blessing; in fact, in a statement in October to the Detroit Free Press, she calls it “trashy” and “full of lies.” This is a sterling example of where readers must decide for themselves whether or not Ritz steps over boundaries of good taste in the name of good journalism. Is Aretha Franklin a national treasure, someone worthy of a full disclosure?

In this second book, Ritz makes a compelling case for honesty; he analyzes and details a respectful story of the people, music and events of her life. RESPECT is a tribute to her awe-inspiring talent. She emerged as the Queen of Soul in 1967, following in the footsteps of Bessie Smith and Dinah Washington. The “bejeweled crown” was placed on her head where it would remain, metaphorically, for the next five decades.

The complexities of her life are told against the backdrop of a hugely successful preacher father, the turbulent city of Detroit, the fierce cutthroat nature of the music industry primarily in New York City, and ever-present racial tensions in America. The musical brilliance of her older sisters Erma and Carolyn and brother Cecil is repeatedly detailed. Then each of them, in turn, points out that talented as they were, Aretha wasthe genius --- their father’s favorite.

Great stories permeate the lengthy, detailed discussions of how Aretha selected songs, chose musicians to accompany her, and arranged the pieces for her recordings. For example, Etta James explains that Aretha’s recording of “Skylark” took it “to a whole ‘nother place. When she goes back and sings the chorus the second time and jumps an octave.” James just scratches her head. Sarah Vaughan heard the recording and pays Aretha the highest tribute: “I’m never singing that song again.”

The tension between the first autobiography, carefully edited by Aretha herself, and this biography comes in the revelation of personal details. Aretha’s brother talks about her rebellious period when she was around 18; he explains during this time that their father did not have a high regard for Ted White, her first husband. It was reported that he “knew that Ted was something of a shady character.” Aretha went against her father’s judgment and married him, even though White was described “as a straight-up pimp” by another acquaintance; the book allows the assertion that he was known to be disreputable to stand unchallenged. In FROM THESE ROOTS, there is no mention of her husband’s suspicious activities, even though she later divorces him. This passage shows Ritz’s belief that Aretha wanted to be thought incapable of making bad choices.

Another instance of this conflict between accounts is the story of Gladys Knight and the Pips’ use of Aretha’s chartered plane to go to the funeral of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Atlanta. Aretha distinctly remembered that they never thanked her. No one seems to remember what songs were sung, but she insisted that this ingratitude be recorded. This is a petty, small-minded story, hardly worth telling about a musical legend, but Aretha and Ritz both include it in their books.

Fascinating stories detailing every aspect of Aretha Franklin’s career slowly build this picture of unbelievable musical ability, acknowledging her to be the best of the very best. She may be flawed and needy, but the breathtaking pieces of her life --- song-writing, innovative riffs, command performances of divadom, crossing from one genre of music to another, always creating --- produced a staggering whole.

Reviewed by Jane Krebs

This book is the definitive biography of Aretha Franklin. This book is well written, very well researched, and a must read if you are one of millions that enjoy 'Sista Ree's' music. He knows his subject first hand, and he quotes her sisters, brother, former employees for an in depth, revealing portrait of a woman who hates to be exposed. She is competitive, petty, hates her female contemporaries, and doggedly holds on to the crown of 'Queen of Soul'! We also learn the fathers of her sons, she was a Mother at 13 and 15 yrs old respectively. This book holds nothing back! A perfect 10! Read the book and you tell me. :)

I read "From These Roots" some years back and found it extremely self-serving and boring. Any controversial topic was either dismissed or skipped over. I had a feeling that this was Miss Franklin's rather than Mr. Ritz's doing. Reading "Respect" proved me right. This is a highly entertaining book, full of lengthy quotes and juicy anecdotes from her family members, as well as her long-suffering booking agent, and various producers, all of whom she fell out with and made up with regularly.Here's one from Luther Vandross, fresh off his first hit album who was producing Aretha's album (she had had several flops in a row). They had a disagreement over how she should sing a song: "She said, 'Who's the one with the most hits here?' I replied, 'But who's the one with the latest hit?' She didn't answer. She stormed out. But when she came back, she sang it the way I wanted it."
Here's one from another producer Oliver Leiber: "As far as the song went, her heart wasn't in it. She seemed far more interested in the fried chicken that her assistant was cooking up in the kitchen. We got the notion that once the chicken was fried, our session was over. So we worked in a hurry."
Eye-opening stories about life on the gospel circuit in the 50s (it wasn't all hymn-singing, for sure), the music business in general and Ree's own colorful father round out this engrossing book.All the material Ritz was probably not allowed to put in the first book finds it way here.

Don't read another Aretha Biography. This is the ONE. You wonder why she's so private and doesn't give interviews? This explains it. Ms. Franklin tried to get this book squelched and threatened to sue the author, but it's not as salacious as she would have you believe. It's the truth about her life and her family in Detroit, and most of it we already knew. Especially her years with Ted White, her manager and husband. What female singer doesn't go through heartache and breakup with a man? Ritz not only writes about her family life, but catalogs her recording life. The early years at Columbia are a must-read. Many people don't know that Aretha was on Columbia Records for years and couldn't make a hit record to save her life. So she wasn't an overnight sensation. But she was recording on Columbia during a time when others from Smokey Robinson (and the Motown family), Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Nancy Wilson and others were making hit records and she wasn't.
She was a very young teenage mom and it's implied that she was sexually active at a young pre-teen age. Maybe that's the part of her life she didn't want the public to know.
From a consumer's POV, I wish Aretha would get better management. If someone like Tony Bennett, who's 10 years older and in great voice, can change with the times by teaming with Lady Gaga so can Aretha.
I have her album, "Sings the Divas" and she sings People which is Barbara Streisand's signature song. Aretha cannot touch Barbara on that song, although she gives it a try. But I often wondered, why did she choose that song choice. Well as I was reading this biography, it seems that Aretha was a bit jealous of Barbara - the two were signed to Columbia Records, because Barbara had hits albums and Aretha didn't.

The undisputed Queen! I have enjoyed most of David Ritz's books and this one is no exception. This has to be the definitive biography of Aretha. It's hard to think that anything else could be as comprehensive. Readers should understand that Aretha was not a part of this book. Her and David Ritz collaborated on her autobiography, From These Roots in 1999. So, why the need for another book? David, "but because my ghostly collaboration resulted in in a story I found far-fetched in so many ways, I'm continuing my study. I'm writing the story as I see it." So, basically Aretha was holding back and David felt there was a lot more to her story and wanted her to be more forthcoming.

So this is David's story and Aretha fans may be none too pleased, because this rendering of Aretha includes all her warts, and the thinking is, if Aretha didn't want them exposed, why would David make it his business to do so? "I would not have written this book had I not cowritten hers. I see this second book as a companion piece to the first." As a prolific writer, I personally don't begrudge David Ritz for attempting to fully document an artist who he says he loves. One will have to judge the results for themselves by a careful reading of this biography.

It was just basic information. Being from Detroit suburbs the book was just things I’ve already heard through the grapevine. The book praised her father as if he were God himself. He could preach however, he had no moral convictions, and a sex addict. I’m not sure if he believed I. God or he loved the preaching lifestyle or offered him. I didn’t finish the book, it was more of what I already knew.

This book had me in awe... and sometimes speechless.... Ms. Franklin was a different type of woman with very different ways of thinking.... She was a very sensitive woman who would go months without speaking to you if you ever called her as such.... She held onto her reigning crown and title of Queen of Soul for dear life and attacked anyone who dared to try to claim it... She also lived in a fairy tale world where everything is fabulous in her life...even if it wasn't.... A very interesting read and a even more interesting woman.... May she R.I.P.

This was a very well written, well researched account of one of the most famous figures in music. I appreciate the time and understanding the author used in putting this out. The previous book "From These Roots" over which Ms. Franklin had Too Much Control was flat as a pancake and lacking in substance. This book shows Aretha to be more of a human famous, flawed and feminine than anything else I've ever read on her. We all have a past and hers is deep and winding. I don't feel that this book makes her anything less than The Queen Of Soul. She is a musical Genius, the likes of which only come once in a lifetime. Long Live The Queen.

DAVID RITZ!! YESS!! YESS!! YESS!! HEYELL YESS I WILL BUY THIS BOOK!! DAVID RITZ IS A TRULY PHENOMINAL BIOGRAPHER WHO ONLY DEALS WITH THE "REALNESS" OF HIS SUBJECTS!! WHICH IS HOW IT SHOULD BE IF YOU ARE GOING TO WRITE ABOUT THE LEGENDS OF OUR TIME AND ARETHA FRANKLIN IS A LEGEND OF OUR TIME. SHE HAS DEMONS, FLAWS, MADE MISTAKES, AND HAS HAD DOWNWARD TIMES IN HER LIFE JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE LEGENDS RITZ HAS WRITTEN ABOUT. BUT, GUESS WHAT? WHAT DOES THAT MAKE HER? A HUMAN! A HUMAN BEING WE THE PUBLIC CAN IDENTIFY WITH AND LEARN FROM. WRITING THIS "REAL VERSION" OF HER BIO WILL ONLY MAKE HER BETTER, AND MORE UNFORGETTABLE AND MORE ADMIRED. IF YOU GONNA BE A LEGEND, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF ROUGH CRAP, AND MAKE BIG MISTAKES IN YOUR LIFE, FOR THEY ARE THE THINGS AND SITUATIONS THAT WILL DEFINE YOU AS A STRONG PERSON IN LIFE. SO ARETHA, DON'T GIVE DAVID RITZ ANY FLACK ABOUT THIS BOOK SWEETIE. THE MAN JUST MADE YOU MORE HUMAN AND MADE US LOVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE.

A book about Miss Aretha Franklin is always interesting, not only because of herself but also because of all those who are or were close. Sisters Erma and Carloyn, cousin Brenda Corbett, sister-in-law Earline, extraordinary booking agent Miss Ruth Bowen, niece Sabrina Owens... this are Miss Franklin's authentic jewels in the crown (and mom Miss Barbara Siggers, and grand-mom Miss Rachel Pittman...). Miss Franklin should not be upset about this writing, we already also knew about her brothers, her husbands and men, her sons... we even knew about Jon Pareles... and let me see... she was born in Memphis, we have the exact adress, went to Detroit, we also have the adress, moved to L.A. in Encino, bought more than one house in Bloomfield Hills... Not bad for someone who protects her privacy so fiercely and I wonder if we have the right to know so much. I know more about Miss Franklin than about most of my relatives, not to say about my neighbors. In fact because the whole Franklin pack has somewhat been living in my home since I was 13, now 61.
Her music led me to discover the peerless beauty of American Black Music and it's culture behind. And I have witnessed the difficult and very slow crossing over of black people in the States. It still will take time.
Miss Aretha Franklin will remain -faults included- one of the mainstays of this beautiful culture. If she parts before I do I will miss her, because she's always been a company. My respect for this lady.
Thank you for this book Mr. Ritz.

I got this from my library. Ree was an unpleasant force to be reckoned with and a habitual liar. I was amazed to learn how entrenched with the civil rights movement. Ree had an unique talent that could never be questioned but she treated others poorly and her father was appearently a sex addict. I enjoyed this book greatly.

I'm probably the biggest Aretha fan of my generation (25 years old as I type), and this was a magnificent, yet bitter pill to swallow. You have to understand, I idolize the woman and worship the ground she walks on, but I'll also never deny her shortcomings, whatever they may be. I devoured this book in less than a week, while working full time, sometimes salivating so to continue that I would read while I walked from Penn Station to my office above Grand Central Station. While I am a firm believer in the mentality that there are always at least two sides to a story (the side you hear and the truth, and ascending from there), the further you read, and the more you connect the dots with what has been said about Ree over the years, it feels more-or-less accurate. I strongly recommend this.

In his book Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin David Ritz gives us a view of Aretha franklin that seems very candid. He includes details which she left out of her book, From These Roots. I have always been curious of what went into producing her famous hits and what was the back ground for writing some of her classics. He seems to paint her as being somewhat psychotic at some points because he shares with us some of the lengths that she goes through protecting her privacy. I can understand why Aretha shunned this book because even through there are points in this book that paint a favorable light on Aretha there is a lot in this book which paints her in a negative light.
I recommend this book

The author has worked biographically with Etta James, BB King, Bettye LaVette, Marvin Gaye, Natalie Cole, Ray Charles, and Jerry Wexler. As great as Wexler was, was an unreliable witness to his own history (and he had no ears for funk, which took over from soul), so you should look carefully at his comments about Aretha’s later Atlantic years. I trust him as far as he could throw a plate.

But the prize here is the no. 2 witness, manager Ruth Bowen, whose years managing Dinah Washington ought to fill a book too. Her story is the one we really want.

While the author has to cover Aretha’s less generous, unwise and overwhelmingly unreliable aspects, we don’t, after the mid-1970s, get a sense of what was so wonderful about her that she generated such loyalty from seemingly everyone. Talent and soul don’t really explain it.

The attempt at discography is poor, with just album titles/years, sans the tracks. You’d do better on Wikipedia.

An excellent book! Five out of five stars. As with any biography, the reader's interest in the subject matter is a crucial consideration. But... if you think you might like this book, you will love this book. It is a gift.

In his book Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin David Ritz gives us a view of Aretha franklin that seems very candid. He includes details which she left out of her book, From These Roots. I have always been curious of what went into producing her famous hits and what was the back ground for writing some of her classics. He seems to paint her as being somewhat psychotic at some points because he shares with us some of the lengths that she goes through protecting her privacy. I can understand why Aretha shunned this book because even through there are points in this book that paint a favorable light on Aretha there is a lot in this book which paints her in a negative light.
I recommend this book

The author has worked biographically with Etta James, BB King, Bettye LaVette, Marvin Gaye, Natalie Cole, Ray Charles, and Jerry Wexler. As great as Wexler was, was an unreliable witness to his own history (and he had no ears for funk, which took over from soul), so you should look carefully at his comments about Aretha’s later Atlantic years. I trust him as far as he could throw a plate.

But the prize here is the no. 2 witness, manager Ruth Bowen, whose years managing Dinah Washington ought to fill a book too. Her story is the one we really want.

While the author has to cover Aretha’s less generous, unwise and overwhelmingly unreliable aspects, we don’t, after the mid-1970s, get a sense of what was so wonderful about her that she generated such loyalty from seemingly everyone. Talent and soul don’t really explain it.

The attempt at discography is poor, with just album titles/years, sans the tracks. You’d do better on Wikipedia.

An excellent book! Five out of five stars. As with any biography, the reader's interest in the subject matter is a crucial consideration. But... if you think you might like this book, you will love this book. It is a gift.

Great book! I have followed her career, beginning in my teenage years. But learning what was behind a lot of her songs was a great adventure. Aretha is a great creative artist and enormously talented person. However, throughout her life she has really faced some challenges, starting at a very early age. She is a survivor! A page turner!

Not my favorite read, but non-the-less, interesting. I didn't find this book as exciting as I thought I would! It was okay, and I am glad that I read it. I'm sure I would not have liked Aretha's pervious biography at all!