Aretha Franklin: Live on the TODAY SHOW

Here is an amazing performance by the Queen of Soul from the Today Show that aired on Christmas Day.

She was on to promote her first ever FULL Christmas Album — 'This Christmas Aretha' which is available exclusively at Borders, Waldenbooks and Borders.com

Aretha recorded one album in the '60s for Columbia Records and one in the '80s for the Special Olympics that contained Christmas songs but this is her first full Christmas album.

The superb musical cast on the album includes 'A' list Los Angeles session players such as drummer Ricky Lawson, bassist Nathan East, guitarist Paul Jackson Jr., percussionist Luis Conte; rhythm arrangers Tim Heintz and James 'Big Jim' Wright (of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis fame) and string arranger Bill Meyers; The Fire Choir (directed by Carmen Twillie) as well as Fonzi Thornton, Lisa Fischer, Brenda White and Tawatha Agee (all past background vocalists with Luther Vandross); in addition to Ms. Franklin's musical director H.B. Barnum.

"This Christmas Aretha" is not only an outstanding record, but is also a momentous event because it represents a Franklin family affair: Ms. Franklin's sons -- singer Eddie and guitarist Teddy -- contribute on the Donny Hathaway chestnut, "This Christmas" and the rousing gospel classic, "The Lord Will Make A Way," which features top-flight Detroit musicians and about which Aretha Franklin herself simply says, "It's one of those old time, good time recordings. It's so smashing, right there on the front burner. Check out that groove!"

Tracks include: "Angels We Have Heard on High," "This Christmas," "My Grown-Up Christmas List," "The Lord Will Make A Way," "Silent Night," "Ave Maria," "Christmas Ain't Christmas (Without The One You Love)," "14 Angels," "One Night With The King," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," and "'Twas The Night Before Christmas."

About Aretha Franklin:

Aretha Louise Franklin was born on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee to the Rev. C. L. Franklin, a Baptist minister, and Barbara Siggers Franklin.

She is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and pianist. She is known to her fans as "The Queen of Soul" She is renowned for her soul recordings but is also adept at jazz, rock, blues, pop and gospel. She is widely acclaimed for her passionate vocal style and powerful vocal range. Known around the world by her first name, Aretha Franklin has achieved global recognition on an unprecedented scale.

She is one of the most influential and important voices in the history of pop music. Her ever- distinctive, soulful, to-the-bone vocal style has graced music charts for over four decades and her live performances have touched the hearts of tens of millions since she began her musical journey in Detroit as a singing child prodigy.

Aretha Franklin has earned countless international and national awards as well as accolades and global recognition on an unprecedented scale including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Kennedy Center Honor, the American National Medal of the Arts Award, 21 GRAMMY(R) Awards including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for eight consecutive years, a GRAMMY Legend Award, a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award, and five American Music Awards.

In 1987, she was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 1979, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Earlier this year, she was named 2008 MusiCares Person of the Year by the Recording Academy and she was presented with the prestigious NAACP Vanguard Award.

Grammy Awards

Franklin has won twenty one (21) Grammy Awards in total during her nearly half-century long career (she first charted in 1961), and holds the record for most Best Female R&B Vocal Performance award with eleven to her name (including eight consecutive awards from 1968 to 1975 - the first eight awarded in that category).

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Category:

Music

Tags:

• MUSIC
• Aretha
• Franklin
• CHRISTMAS
• new
• album
• Angels
• We
• Have
• Heard
• On
• High
• Christmas
• Ain't
• Without
• The
• One
• You
• Love

[mookeee06]

what's the name of this song?

[srfup]

First Song:

"Angels We Have Heard On High."

Second Song:

"Christmas Ain't Christmas (Without The One You Love)."

[yaskam]

WOW! What emotion! How inventive! At 66 years! Aretha, never the same!

[ramiakin]

Oh me, oh my, what a diverse, durable voice she has...decades of performances. All hail the most important singer of the Rock 'n' Roll era, the Queen, ARETHA...we will remember her name.

[flames8811]

love this woman!!!

[manhattankid1212]

Im so excited. Can't Wait to see her @ radio city.

[kawandebose]

Aretha is straight MURDERING!!!!! She sounds and looks amazing!!!!!!!!! Get it Re!

[caesar6882]

Aretha looks great with this style of longer hair. They say when you are older, wear your hair short but I think this doesn`t appy to Aretha because she looks more youthful with her hair like this. Love that she has trimmed down alot too. She also looks wonderful in that outfit.

[caesar6882]

yes it does and so do the other songs as well.

[Lauranis]

her voice is not good in the mornings, yet she sound great

[Lauranis]

she is still alive