Osler's Razor

I saw Aretha Franklin once, but it was memorable. It was 1986; I was 23 years old.  I read she was making a special for Showtime at the Music Hall in Detroit, and headed over there. Clarence Clemens, from Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band was there, and so was Aretha's sister Erma, who had a deep, rich voice. I'm sorry I did not see her again, and now she is gone.

She, like me and Ron Fournier and Keith Ellison and a bunch of other people who left and went back (and left and went back), was from Detroit, and very much of it.  Just this past Sunday, I wrote about driving down Jefferson, singing along to "Say a Little Prayer." I loved the songs where it was easier to hear the church in it.

One of my favorite songs ever was by Aretha's older sister Erma (she died in 2002), who filmed this at the Soup Kitchen bar in Detroit:



With both Franklin sisters (and a third sister, Carolyn), the story always started in the church their father C.L. Franklin (a legend in his own right) pastored, New Bethel in Detroit. In the 1950's, James Cleveland was the organist. It's not surprising they filled up 2,500 seats! Here is James Cleveland:



What comes next? I don't know. But I hope there is singing.

Let's Haiku about Aretha Franklin this morning. Here, I will go first:

Many times in church
Woman stepped up to sing
My hope: Aretha.

Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 formula and make it good!