Soul-gospel singer Mavis Staples, a peer and longtime family friend of Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, spoke to pop music writer Randy Lewis from her home in Chicago on Friday — a day after Franklin’s death at age 76. Staples, 79, touched on thei... more info

In the hours after Aretha Franklin’s death Thursday, the weeklong appreciation of the Queen of Soul reached a feverish climax, with tributes pouring in from every corner of the globe — and even beyond. At the same time fans were singing Franklin�... more info

You can imagine how Ariana Grande’s new album might’ve turned out. The pop singer’s first record since the terrorist bombing that killed 22 people last year as they left a concert of hers at England’s Manchester Arena, “Sweetener” would l... more info

Aretha Franklin's funeral will be held Aug. 30 in her hometown of Detroit. The late singer's publicist, Gwendolyn Quinn, said Friday that the funeral, to be held at Greater Grace Temple, is limited to the Queen of Soul's family and friends. Public vi... more info

On Friday morning during an interview in advance of Pathway to Paris, an upcoming concert at the Theatre at Ace Hotel, the musician, writer and activist Patti Smith was asked for her thoughts on the passing of Aretha Franklin. Smith, who will join ar... more info

It's 9 a.m. on a Wednesday, and Zane Lowe, in a glass-encased studio in Culver City, has the energy of a firework. He has two desks, which he uses like turntables. His mic hangs over his head like an MC at a rap battle. To his left are a pair of viny... more info

Parsing out Aretha Franklin’s influence on contemporary culture is a foolish task. Without her, nothing comes after. From the canonical early Atlantic albums to the transcendent, humane gospel of “Amazing Grace,” to her subbing for Luciano Pava... more info

As prolific as she was influential, Aretha Franklin released dozens of albums in a career that lasted longer than half a century. Here are five of her most important: “Laughing on the Outside,” 1963 With a seemingly arbitrary mix of pop, jazz and... more info

In early 1972, Aretha Franklin arrived at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts for a pair of performances with the backing of the Rev. James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir. Recorded by Atlantic Records engineers an... more info

The Grammy Awards ceremony has never suffered a shortage of drama during the annual telecast. But there probably was never a more heart-stopping turn of events than on the night of Feb. 25, 1998, when the 40th Grammys were put on at Radio City Music ... more info