TVXOHOF HONORARY MEMORIAL - THE QUEEN OF SOUL

"Hey, Nineteen!
That's 'Retha Franklin.
She don't remember the Queen of Soul."
STEELY DAN

But Toobworld does.

This is for you, Queen Aretha.....

From Wikipedia:
Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American singer and songwriter. Franklin began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, where her father, C. L. Franklin, was minister. In 1960, at the age of 18, she embarked on a secular career, recording for Columbia Records but only achieving modest success. Following her signing to Atlantic Records in 1967, Franklin achieved commercial acclaim and success with songs such as "Respect", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", "Spanish Harlem" and "Think". By the end of the 1960s she had gained the title "The Queen of Soul".

To read more about Ms. Franklin, click here.

Aretha Franklin only made one appearance in Toobworld as her fictional televersion.  And it was the most appropriate series to showcase her.....

'Murphy Brown'
- "The Queen of Soul" 

From the IMDb:
Murphy lands an interview with her idol, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. When Aretha's train is delayed and she can't get to the studio on time for the live broadcast, the FYI gang is left stretching their way out of the one hour long program to fill in the dead air time.

'Popular'
"The Phantom Menace" 

From the IMDb:
It's the first day of a new school year. Brooke has self-image issues. Josh tries out for a musical. 

Mr. Wayne Vincent:
"Performing allows you to call up feelings and fears you can't express in your life. Use what you're afraid to show. Let it out. Again."

Girl in the drama class begins to sing "Amazing Grace."

Mr. Vincent:
"Okay. I'm stopping you here. And I have one word to say to you and that word is: 'Aretha'." 

'Popular'
"Coup"

From the IMDb:
Nicole sets out to prove that her power is not based on her "twin set" - her plan involves April, Brooke and taking down everyone who gets in her way. 

April Tuna:
"Are you familiar with the lyrics to the classic 1985 Aretha Franklin/Annie Lennox duet?"

She was referring to "Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves":

So that's an acknowledgement of the music her televersion provided in both Earth Prime and Earth Prime-Time.

'White Collar'
"Upper West Side Story"

From the IMDb:
When scholarship funds from a prestigious prep school mysteriously disappear, Neal poses as a substitute teacher to help Peter and the FBI figure out where the money is really going.

Assistant Vice Principal:
"If I had a song for every substitute I had to track down in these halls, I'd be Aretha Franklin."

'Inspector George Gently'
"Gently Northern Soul" 

From the IMDb:
After a young black girl is murdered, Gently uncovers a disturbing and malevolent racist undercurrent lurking both within the local community and his own police force.

Carole Morford:
 "We had this mad dream about going to America. To the clubs in Philadelphia and Detroit. She thought she'd meet some big record producer. She could sing, you see. She could sing like Aretha."

'The Finder'
"The Boy with the Bucket"

From the IMDb:
[Walter's] beloved brother Langston Sherman arrives, asking priority, granted only after insistence from the whole gang, for their father Franklin's dying wish, finding and bringing their mother, who left when the boys were still babies. 

Walter Sherman:
"My name is Walter Sherman, and I am not an alcoholic. No. Uh, but! I'm honored to be here in Memphis, Tennessee, the home of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Aretha Franklin." 

'Partners'
"The Key"

From the IMDb:
Ali, tired of Louis just popping in at the apartment decides to change the locks. Louis tells Joe that he should stand up for him but Joe sides with Ali.

Louis McManus:
"Oh, my God! I can't believe you're using vaseline as a lotion! Who are you, Aretha Franklin?"

Aretha made plenty of appearances on television over her career - in music videos, talk shows, award presentations, variety programs, documentaries.  It's not something anybody could do, but even so, it doesn't contribute to her overall tally for entry into the Hall.  It was actually appearing as her fictional self with Murphy Brown and having those six other fictional characters mention her which was the harder feat to pull off.

But once residency in the Hall is established, I don't mind mentioning some of those other appearances, especially when those shows are themselves represented in the greater Toobworld Dynamic.

Here she is, in a duet with Frankie Valli, on 'The Mike Douglas Show':

And here are some of those other shows in which she was featured:

• 'Today'
• 'The Kennedy Center Honors'
• 'The Late Show with David Letterman'
• 'Tonight with Jack Paar/Johnny Carson/Jay Leno/Seth Meyers'
• 'The Oprah Winfrey Show'
• 'Entertainment Tonight'
• 'Christmas In Rockefeller Center'
• 'Deal Or No Deal'
• 'The Grammy Awards'
• 'Saturday Night Live'
• 'American Bandstand'
• 'Midnight Special'

And we have to acknowledge her presence with all of those times in which her voice was heard in so many TV shows, from 'Boston Legal' to 'The Wonder Years', from old series like 'Miami Vice' and 'Moonlighting' to 'Ray Donovan' and 'GLOW'.  And even going across the Atlantic to be heard in 'EastEnders'.

Granted, most of those times they would only be heard by the audience viewing at home in the Trueniverse and not by the citizens of Toobworld, but still.  Aretha Franklin has always been a powerhouse in every world.

Thank you, Aretha Franklin.  And welcome to the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.....