September 1966, London
Earlier in the year, my thirst for collecting every one of the Columbia albums by Aretha Franklin is quenched! I’m forever hooked by the majesty of her voice and I’m moved to write to let her know. Without a way to contact her, I send a letter expressing my love of her music to Miss A. Franklin c/o Rev CL Franklin, New Bethel Baptist Church, Detroit, Mi, USA. Months go by and one Saturday morning while I am attempting to wrap my Brit teen vocal chords around Aretha’s bluesy melismatic phrasing on the song “Nobody Knows The Way I Feel This Morning” (from her ‘Unforgettable – Tribute To Dinah Washington’ LP), my dad shouts, ‘Letter from America!’ Aretha has replied! She says she has no idea she has fans in England (which she basically doesn’t at that time) and is looking forward to performing in London. I’m beside myself with joy!
Fast forward to September. I’m working with Dave Godin on the Rhythm & Soul USA magazine and I write the first ever glowing article about Aretha in a British publication! We get a photo from CBS Records of Aretha,….so we think! Magazine comes out and we find out that the photo is NOT of Aretha but rather her sister ERMA who had recorded for CBS also (on Epic Records). Of course no one in Britain is any the wiser about the mistake since it would be many months before the world knows what Aretha looks and sounds like…
