Pete Davidson revealed that he was extremely high at Aretha Franklin’s funeral and made a bad joke to her family.
Speaking in a trailer for his Netflix special, Davidson recalled the moment he went to the funeral with his then-fiancée, Ariana Grande.
“I’m so high, I thought it’d be a good idea to go up to her family and go, ‘Hey! I’m just here to pay my R-E-S-P-E-C-Ts,’” Davidson said.
“It’s embarrassing when you’re not on ketamine anymore, though,” Davidson said. “I’m embarrassed. I was out and about like that. That’s not cool, you know?”
Ketamine, as classified by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, is a dissociative anesthetic exhibiting hallucinogenic properties.
The trailer for his upcoming special, Turbo Fonzarelli, is below.
Many fan-favorite tunes are covers of earlier melodies created by pioneers that may have been unknown by some fans. Some include top hits sung by chart-topping artists such as Aaliyah, Beyoncé, Salt-N-Pepa, and more.
Beyoncé – ‘If I Were A Boy’
Queen Bey surprised fans with her 2008 hit “If I Were A Boy,” a cover of BC Jean and Toby Gad’s song. This rendition reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and garnered multi-platinum certifications in various countries.
Salt- N- Pepa’s ‘Whatta Man’
Salt N Pepa’s timeless hit “Whatta Man” was a cover of Linda Lyndell’s 1968 original. The duo’s version reached impressive positions on the Billboard Hot 100, the UK Singles Chart, and the UK Dance Singles Chart.
Aaliyah’s ‘At Your Best’
Aaliyah’s 1994 hit “At Your Best” was a beautiful rendition of The Isley Brothers’ 1976 smash hit “At Your Best (You Are Love).” The single spent weeks on the Billboard charts, peaking at No. 3 in September 1994.
Destiny’s Child – ‘Emotion’
Destiny’s Child, the iconic girl group, also tried their hand at covering songs. In 2002, they released their version of Samantha Sang’s 1978 hit, “Emotion,” which became a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Lauryn Hill’s ‘Killin’ Me Softly’
Lauryn Hill captivated audiences in 1996 with her rendition of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly.” This cover topped the Mainstream Top 40 chart, leaving an indelible mark on music history.
Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”
Whitney Houston’s 1992 rendition of “I Will Always Love You” is considered a classic.
However, not many people know that the original belongs to Dolly Parton. Houston’s emotional tribute to Bobby Brown took the song to new heights.
Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”
Aretha Franklin’s iconic anthem “Respect” won her a Grammy and became a major feminist anthem. But it was originally written, and performed by the late music great Otis Redding in 1965.
These surprising covers remind us of the innovation and creativity that artists bring to their craft. While making a song, they pay homage to the original creators and introduce these timeless melodies to a new generation of listeners.
What’s The Problem?
In the world of hip-hop, sampling has been a long-standing tradition.
However, there are concerns about the overuse of sampling by newer artists, which some argue leads to a lack of originality in the genre. Hip-hop fans are divided on the issue, with some appreciating the homage paid to older tracks, while others feel it stifles the growth and creativity of the genre.
Goodie Mob Gets Real
Sampling has been a prominent element of hip-hop, and artists like Goodie Mobhave witnessed its impact. In an exclusive interview with SOHH, members of Goodie Mob discussed their perspectives on hip-hop sampling, the state of the modern hip-hop world, and the influence of Drake’s success.
A handwritten will by the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, has been validated by a Michigan jury,
According to Page Six, the document was found in Franklin’s Detroit home and was written in 2014. The document highlighted how her estate would be settled once she passed away. Franklin died in 2018.
Franklin’s sons Kecalf and Edward believed the handwritten document should overwrite a 2010 will that was found in a cabinet, which would make the songs take business classes and obtain a degree to benefit from the estate. The more recent document did not have any education requirements.
The 2014 will state the two sons, and Franklin’s third, Ted White Jr., would get an equal split of the music royalties. Kecalf and his children get the Bloomfield Hills, Michigan home and her cars. The 2014 doc had Franklin’s signature on each page.
The estate is currently worth $6 million.
You can see the doc below.
A handwritten document found wedged beneath the cushions in Aretha Franklin’s couch is deemed to be a valid will under Michigan law. But what if… Aretha Franklin had been an Irish tech founder?
According to a recent report from NPR, a file that was declassified by the FBI shows that the federal agency collected information on the late, legendary singer Aretha Franklin for over four decades via surveillance and fake phone calls in their efforts to fin out how deeply the “Respect” singer was involved in the Civil Rights movement, the Black Power movement and communism.
The document, which was released in early September, shows that between 1967-2007, the Federal Bureau of Investigation collected over 270 pages of information with reports from over a dozen states. The Bureau followed Franklin’s activism, specifically hr relationships with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Angela Davis.
A 1968 documentdiscusses funeral plans for Martin Luther King Jr., calling it a “racial situation.” It further states, “Sammy Davis Jr., Aretha Franklin…of this group, some have supported militant Black power concept…[performance at MLK memorial by these prominent entertainers] would provide emotional spark which could ignite racial disturbance in this area.”
The reports also says that the document contains three threats on the Grammy Award winner’s life as well as infringements of her music and performances. The FBI’s description of Franklin included phrases such as “Black extremists,” “pro-communist,” “hate America,” “radical,” “racial violence,” and “militant Black power”.
In 1974, the Queen of Soul received a threatening letter, reading, “Dear Aretha…I’m still in charge of you…I’m not to be crossed…you should be…paying me some of my money…evidently your advisors do not know the dangers of neglecting what I’m saying…I would hate to drag [your father] into this.” In 1979, four months after her father was shot in Detroit, she received yet another threat from a man who said he was going to kill her and her family.
Following the rise of Aretha Franklin’s career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international superstardom, Respect is the remarkable true story of the music icon’s journey to find her voice.
Respect stars Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin, Forest Whitaker as C.L. Franklin, Marlon Wayans as Ted White, Audra McDonald as Barbara Franklin, Marc Maron as Jerry Wexler, Tituss Burgess as Reverend Dr. James Cleveland, Kimberly Scott as Mama Franklin, Saycon Sengbloh as Erma Franklin, Hailey Kilgore as Carolyn Franklin, Heather Headley as Clara Ward, Skye Dakota Turner as Young Aretha Franklin, Tate Donovan as John Hammond and Mary J. Blige as Dinah Washington.
Jennifer Hudson was handpicked by Ms. Aretha Franklin herself to portray the late singer in a biopic. But that’s not the only project in the works that is celebrating the life of the “Respect” singer.
Cynthia Erivo is slated to star as Franklin in the National Geographic network’s limited series Genius: Aretha.
The TV series has an impressive team consisting of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks as the showrunner, who will also executive produce alongside Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, music mogul Clive Davis, Atlantic Records Chairman, and CEO Craig Kallman and Ken Biller of Fox 21 Television Studios and Imagine Television Studios.
But according to Hudson, Aretha wanted to be on the big screen or not at all. During a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, the Academy Award-winner said Aretha was “adamant that [her life] be a film. If it’s not a film, it’s nothing. I’m just honored that she picked me to play her. I mean, who can say that? And again, I would have never done it without her wishes.”
In the wide-range interview, Jennifer Hudson admitted that she re-reads conversations with Aretha for inspiration.
Respect starring Hudson as Aretha also stars Forest Whitaker as Franklin’s famous father, Rev. C.L. Franklin, alongside Audra McDonald, Mary J. Blige, and Marlon Wayans.
Following a limited release on Christmas Day, the biopic will be released on January 15, 2021.
The work of Grammy-award winning producer, Troy Taylor, can be heard on albums from legendary artists like Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige and more. He also had a hand in Trey Songz’s breakout album, Ready.
His catalog alone shows how long he has been in the game so he definitely has a lot of stories about making some of the most timeless hits that we all love.
In a recent interview with Two Bees TV, Taylor revealed that he worked with Mary J. Blige on two records, but after she reunited with Puff the song “Holding On” didn’t fit his vision. But he had the opportunity to work with Aretha Franklin and gave her the song.
“So when she reunited with Puff, his ideas of what the album was for her didn’t fit in the concept of those songs and she didn’t want to change the vibe. So she held on to them. And at the same time, I was working with Aretha Franklin, so, um, Aretha and I had had a great time. The first song we did. And so she said she wanted to hear more songs and so I was like, okay, great. And so I thought about it and I’m like, we got these two Mary songs, hit Mary up. And I was like, yo, what do you think about Aretha doing these songs? She was like, Oh bet. That’s definitely. So it worked out. Um, Aretha ended up doing [“Holding On”] on her album called So Damn Happy.”
Blige can be heard on the background vocals in the video above.
Respect, the biopic of the late Aretha Franklin, which is starring Jennifer Hudson, is set to release. With fans eager to see the story, Kecalf Franklin, Aretha’s son has spoken out against the film and is calling for a boycott.
“ONCE AGAIN….. THE FRANKLIN FAMILY (DOES NOT) SUPPORT THE MOVIE THAT IS IN PRODUCTION!!!!!” Franklin issued in a Facebook post. “NOR DO WE SUPPORT THE BOOK ‘THE QUEEN NEXT DOOR’!!!!! NEITHER ENTITY FELT THE NEED TO CONTACT THE (CORE) FAMILY ABOUT ANYTHING!!!!”
The Queen Next Door is a book created in 2019, titled in full The Queen Next Door: Aretha Franklin, An Intimate Portrait. The boycott of the film is caused by what Kecalf states is lack of consultation with the sons or grandchildren of the staff.
“HOW CAN YOU MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT A PERSON AND NOT TALK TO THE PERSONS SONS OR GRANDCHILDREN ABOUT IMPORTANT INFORMATION?” he continued. “HOW CAN YOU PUT A PERSONS FAMILY (IMAGE) IN A BOOK AND NOT ASK PERMISSION? IF YOU ARE A “REAL” FAN OF MY MOTHERS….PLEASE DO NOT SUPPORT THIS. ASK YOURSELF….WOULD YOU WANT THIS DONE TO YOU? (side note: the ‘ONLY’ person my mother was in favor of for the movie was JENNIFER HUDSON. period. Everything else is being done against our wishes) (please share).”
Since the passing of the late, great Aretha Frankin in the summer of 2018, many remembered just how vital a musical artist she was across many eras. However, Franklin’s son is aiming to boycott an upcoming biopic of his mother starring Jennifer Hudson, stating the family was not interviewed or consulted.
Kecalf Cunningham, 49, wrote the following via Facebook:
THE FRANKLIN FAMILY (DOES NOT) SUPPORT THE MOVIE THAT IS IN PRODUCTION!!!!! NOR DO WE SUPPORT THE BOOK “THE QUEEN NEXT DOOR”!!!!! NEITHER ENTITY FELT THE NEED TO CONTACT THE (CORE) FAMILY ABOUT ANYTHING!!!! HOW CAN YOU MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT A PERSON AND NOT TALK TO THE PERSONS SONS OR GRANDCHILDREN ABOUT IMPORTANT INFORMATION? HOW CAN YOU PUT A PERSONS FAMILY (IMAGE) IN A BOOK AND NOT ASK PERMISSION? IF YOU ARE A “REAL” FAN OF MY MOTHERS….PLEASE DO NOT SUPPORT THIS. ASK YOURSELF….WOULD YOU WANT THIS DONE TO YOU?
Cunningham added in a side note that his mother did approve of Jennifer Hudson in the starring role but that the film’s producers are allegedly freezing the family out of decision-making processes.
The book that was mentioned in Cunningham’s Facebook post, The Queen Next Door by Linda Solomon.
The late singer’s attorney league counsel of her estate, David Bennett, says that Cunningham’s missives are, “his attempts to become the personal representative of the estate” as reported by the Detroit Free Press.
A niece of Franklin, Sabrina Owens, has been the executor of the estate but there are some impending legal issues after a trio of handwritten wills were discovered within the singer’s couch.
At the beginning of last year it was reported that the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin (R.I.P) chose DreamgirlJennifer Hudson to play her in her upcoming biopic, Respect, and now we finally get our first look at what the American Idol finalist will look like as the music legend.
Though the teaser is less than a minute long the Oscar winning actress already seems like she was the perfect choice to fill the shoes of the 18-time Grammy Award winner as she belts out lines from the classic hit “Respect.”
Directed by Liesl Thomas, Respect will boast an all-star cast that will feature the likes of Respect cast includes Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Hailey Kilgore, Tate Donovan, Heather Headley, Skye Dakota Turner, and Mary J. Blige amongst others.
Respect hits theaters on October 9, 2020. Will you be checking for it? Let us know in the comments.
