Perez Hilton — Here's some exciting, happy news! This weekend, there will be a dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. monument on the National Mall. Originally planned for late August, the event needed to be postponed because that b*tch Irene had a mental break... more info

Soul Sides — Aaron and I have corresponded through the years – we’re mutual fans of one another’s musical interests – and he was in Los Angeles in late August to screen the (hopefully) forthcoming documentary on Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace, her bes... more info

Dlisted — Production for the Mahalia Jackson biopic starring Fantasia was supposed to start any day now, but then a little thing called "Fanny's ovaries eating up the sperm fish of a married douche" happened and everything was pushed back. Instead of reca... more info

Topix — This week the Peabody Opera House, a historic monument to St. Louis' great gilded entertainment past, opened with performances by Tonight Show host Jay Leno and soul legend Aretha Franklin. more info

Guardian Music — Guitarist with the Miracles who co-wrote their 1965 hit The Tracks of My TearsSoft and dreamy, a perfect pre-echo of the song's exquisitely swooning melancholy, the guitar lead-in to The Tracks of My Tears, the 1965 hit by the Miracles, remains one o... more info

L.A. Times - Pop & Hiss — The veteran songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David has been chosen to receive the Library of Congress' fourth Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, which will be presented at an all-star tribute ceremony in the spring in Washington. The creators... more info

Guardian Music — This little-known soul number from 1962 is two minutes and 37 seconds of desperation and anger, rejection and defianceFor me Sugar Pie DeSanto – possibly the best-named female soul singer of all time – ranks among the great voices of the genre's ... more info

ContactMusic — Veteran superstar Tony Bennett celebrated his 85th birthday by playing a star-studded gig in New York City on Sunday night 18Sep11 with Sir Elton John and Aretha Franklin The singer reached the milestone age last month 03Aug11 and on Sunday he put on... more info

ContactMusic — Soul singer Aretha Franklin has recruited a new pianist to join her touring ensemble after he impressed her at an international music competition on Sunday 11Sep11 The Respect hitmaker made a surprise appearance at the Thelonious Monk International J... more info

The Telegraph — Respect La Diva at the Garrick Theatre, a tribute to great female vocalists ranging from Aretha Franklin to Madonna and Beyonce, is the kind of show you might expect to see on the end of a pier in Blackpool or at a holiday camp in Skegness. more info