Aretha Franklin

I’ve never recorded anything I didn’t like.

If a song’s about something I’ve experienced or that could’ve happened to me it’s good. But if it’s alien to me, I couldn’t lend anything to it. Because that’s what soul is all about.

Let’s start with the church. As you know, it’s my background, it’s a natural setting for me and it’s definitely my roots.

Don’t say Aretha is making a comeback, because I’ve never been away!

Falling out of love is like losing weight. It’s a lot easier putting it on than taking it off.

I’m the lady next door when I’m not on stage.

The other day I came across a recording I made of a night at my apartment when I was living with Kris Kristofferson. Bob Dylan had been around earlier and we were all passing around the guitar. Whenever it came to my turn I would run into the kitchen and say I’d left the coffee on the stove or something. Shyness. Scared to perform.

A kiss that is never tasted, is forever and ever wasted.

Don’t play the saxophone. Let it play you.

In music the passions enjoy themselves.

Inspiration may be a form of superconsciousness, or perhaps of subconsciousness – I wouldn’t know. But I am sure it is the antithesis of self- consciousness.

Our music artistry should not be disconnected from our lives or ourselves.

If you want to make beautiful music, you must play the black and the white notes together.

Everybody has somebody that they patterned themselves after.

Music and song are, in my opinion, so fine and necessary a part of life that without them we cannot be said really to live at all.

I don’t get jazz. It always sounds like a bunch of toddlers let loose in a music room.

I think I love it more as I get older because I keep getting better on drums, vibes and piano.

In order to compose, all you need to do is remember a tune that no one else has thought of.

I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great.

Any particular style of playing which represents an authentic way of musical feeling is genuine expression.

Most of the soloists at Birdland had to wait for Parker’s next record in order to find out what to play next. What will they do now?