Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

Nearly eight decades ago, the world received a queen. Aretha Franklin was born on March 25, 1942 in Memphis, TN. From her humble beginnings singing gospel in her father’s church at age 10 to conquering the world as The Queen Of Soul, from the 1960’s through infinity, Franklin was an absolute wonder in a world where there were so few.

It is hard to believe that when she started singing secular music at age 18, with Columbia Records she did not achieve instant success. It was not until she moved to Atlantic Records in 1967 that her career flourished. Today’s song was a top 20 hit in 1973 and is one of my absolute favorite Aretha tracks of all time. Happy birthday to The Queen Of Soul.

“I know there must be someone somewhere for me
Oh I lived too long without the love of someone
There’s no misery ooooooh oooh like the misery
I feel in me gotta find me an angel in my life“.

The Queen Of Soul circa 1968. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Aretha Franklin: “Angel” (1973, written by Carolyn Franklin and Sonny Sanders).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.