Aretha Franklin quote: “I sing to the people about what matters”

“I sing to the people about what matters. I sing to the realists, people who accept it like it is. I express problems. There are tears when it’s sad and smiles when it’s happy. It seems simple to me, but for some people, I guess feelin’ takes courage. When I sing, I’m saying, ‘dig it, go on and try. Ain’t nobody goin’ make ya.”

– Aretha Franklin

A black-and-white portrait of Aretha Franklin with a stylish bouffant hairstyle. She wears a lace dress and displays elegant jewelry, including a ring on her finger and a bracelet on her wrist. Her expression is serene with a subtle smile.
Aretha Franklin, 1968

Notes:

“Aretha Franklin quote: ‘I sing to the people about what matters'” sources: Aretha Franklin portrait is a publicity photo taken in 1968 for Billboard by Atlantic Records – “Aretha Franklin 1968.” Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Foundation, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aretha_Franklin_1968.jpg.