Ottawa's music community remembers Queen of Soul
As fans around the world mourn the death of Aretha Franklin and celebrate her decades-long career, Ottawa's music community is remembering her recent visits to the capital.
Franklin died of pancreatic cancer Thursday at her home in Detroit, Mich. She was 76.
"She wasn't just a singer. She was the singer. She was the Queen of Soul. She was rigorous and disciplined and beautiful and magical, and people paid her respect," said Catherine O'Grady, executive producer of the Ottawa Jazz Festival, where Franklin performed in 2014.
"No matter who you talk to, there was always just great admiration."
Franklin's performance four years ago drew the second-largest audience in the festival's 38-year history and marked the only time the festival had to turn people away, O'Grady said.
"It was extraordinary for us, and it was a real feather in our cap, I think, to have had someone of that magnitude and that longevity and that recognizability come to Ottawa."
Franklin also performed at the National Arts Centre in 2009 and 2010.
Business acumen
Ottawa jazz singer Kellylee Evans believes Franklin's death will renew interest in her music among longtime fans and new listeners alike.
Evans recalls listening to Franklin's music from a young age.
"My mom played her in the background all the time, so she was just part of the fabric of my life," she said.
Evans respected Franklin's approach to her work, and the way she managed to make a successful career for herself.
"I would hear stories about how Franklin managed her business, making sure she was treated well and paid," Evans said.
Difficult but generous
That rigour meant Franklin wasn't always easy to deal with, O'Grady said. The singer often demanded payment before she took the stage, including her Ottawa performance.
But Franklin was equally generous, O'Grady said, and handed each of the stagehands crisp $100 bills after her Ottawa show.
"She must have handed out $1,000 in $100 bills, just as a thanks to the stage crew. That's never happened before or since."
Correction : A previous version of this story said Franklin's first performance in Ottawa was in 2014. In fact, Franklin performed in Ottawa prior to 2014.(Aug 16, 2018 4:04 PM)
