QUEEN OF SOUL

Detroit’s Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, was tracked diligently by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for four decades, according to newly declassified documents obtained by Rolling Stone.

The longtime Detroit restaurant has strong ties to Motown and the music scene in Detroit. One such patron was the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin, who came into their kitchen one day and tweaked their fried chicken recipe.

Singer Alise King caught Aretha Franklin's attention while performing on "Live In The D" back in 2017.

“It was an amazing movie and I’m still trying to figure out my emotions from the movie,” said Vivian Pickard. “I cried a little bit. I laughed a little bit.”

Jennifer Hudson, the star of the Aretha Franklin biopic, paid a visit to Metro Detroit.

The “Queen of Soul’s” handprints are to be unveiled outside the Detroit Historical Society Museum in advance of the release of a new film on Aretha Franklin’s life and career.

click to enlarge Screen grab/YouTubeMichigan performers come together virtually to collaborate on an Aretha Franklin cover. When the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, recorded her groundbreaking anthem of equality, empowerment, and solidarity in 1967, women were prohibited from getting a credit card in their name , safely complaining about sexual harassment in the workplace could not legally deny their husband sex , and, if pregnant, could legally be fired from their jobs ... for being pregnant.In the 54 years since Franklin released her rendition and reimagining of “Respect” — originally recorded by Otis Redding several years earlier, which offered a much different and hyper-misogynistic view on the topic of, well,— we've come a long way in terms of women's rights, but the song and its message remain powerful reminders of the work yet to be done. (Equal pay, anyone? )Honoring International Women's Day (which, like, doesn't guarantee women the day off and, instead, tasks them with the emotional labor of celebrating themselves) is the reason for the season for the more than two dozen musicians, performers, and vocalists hailing from Franklin's home state who came together to demand a little “R-E-S-P-E-C-T.”The Grand Rapids-based Michigan Music Alliance organized an ambitious collaboration between 25 female artists, as well as engineers and producers, throughout the state in cooperation with five Michigan recording studios for an electric, saxophone-heavy, and soulful rendition of Franklin's hit classic.Vocalists Serita (aka Black Rose) and Sarena Rae teamed up to tackle Franklin's larger than life vocal performance, with a former Franklin collaborator Gayelynn McKinney on drums, as well as performances by Christina Nielsen (Jack & the Bear), Josi Ala, Ingrid Racine, Zoe Cutler, Sami Blosser, BethAnne Kunert, Kaleigh Wilder, Emily Burns, Alice Sun, and others.The track was released Monday with a video composed of each individual artist's behind-the-scenes recording experience, and the making of will be the subject of an upcoming episode of thepodcast, which will also look at “the musical legacies that are being created by women of Michigan.”You can watch the Michigan Music Alliance's “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.” performance below.

One of the most iconic moments in recent Inauguration history comes from Detroit’s own -- Aretha Franklin. In 2009, the the first Inauguration of President Barack Obama, the “Queen of Soul” stole the show with her jaw-dropping performance of “My country ‘tis of thee.” And don’t forget her legendary hat. Relive the moment below:

DETROIT – A stretch of the Lodge Freeway has been renamed in honor of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, two years after her death. M-10 between I-94 and Livernois Avenue is now the Aretha Franklin Memorial Highway. READ: Aretha Franklin’s niece discusses new trailer for movie profiling her aunt’s lifeRep. Leslie Love has been working for two years to make it happen, and thanks to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Love’s mission is complete. Watch the video above for the full report

Valentine's Day roses, chocolates, and stuffed bears are so cliche. How about some damn R-E-S-P-E-C-T? Oh, to be a fly on the wall on Valentine's Day in 1967 when the late Queen of Soul stepped into a New York City studio to record her anthemic version of Respect, a song first written and recorded by Otis Redding two years prior. The two divorced in 1969.Ive been hurt hurt bad, Franklin revealed in a 1968 Time magazine cover story.Franklin's reimagining propelled the then 25-year-old to stardom and the song became the No. 1 song in 1967, took home two Grammy Awards the following year, and landed on's list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at No.

As the NFL season gets underway, we thought we'd take a look at some of the more well-known Detroit Lions fans who have made their allegiances known.