# Aretha Franklin during the inauguration. Ouch! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 20, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154 "2009-01-20T17:42:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/1 "2009-01-20T17:42:46Z")
I didn’t want this to take over a real thread about the inaug but holy hell how did AF manage to destroy that song on such a special day. She has a great voice but she murdered it today. And which family member should go to jail for allowing her to wear that fucking hat? Holy shit what a wreck. Obama was great though so it’s ok. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/2 "2009-01-20T17:43:50Z")
Her singing was very good, but the HAT. Oh DEAR GOD. Maybe it was to detract all of us away from her bosoms of death. ---
**Author:** ![vison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e47774/32.png) [@vison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vison)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/3 "2009-01-20T17:49:43Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > I didn’t want this to take over a real thread about the inaug but holy hell how did AF manage to destroy that song on such a special day. She has a great voice but she murdered it today. > > And which family member should go to jail for allowing her to wear that fucking hat? Holy shit what a wreck. > > Obama was great though so it’s ok. On the singing, I agree 1,000%. Why the hell can’t these singers just SING the godam song instead of doing all that deedle deedle crap and losing their way? A style I loathe no matter whose voice it is. But the hat? I LOVED that hat. That was a hat that had Presence. Aretha is a big woman and can carry it off. She looked like a Grand Dame. But she sucked at the singing. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/4 "2009-01-20T17:50:27Z")
I liked it. Her voice has a beautiful tone. But sometimes I do wonder what the anthem and America the Beautiful would sound like if great singers like Aretha sang them straight. I liked the hat too. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/5 "2009-01-20T17:55:52Z")
I may be in the minority here, but I think her voice has retired. Women \*can \*retain their voices into their sunset years, but not often. And I think hers is done; the power and clarity and richness of tone was just not there. It was a shadow of her former voice, with way too much [melisma](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=502472)to try and cover up that fact. I liked the hat, though. Good choice, considering the weather and the simplicity of the coat. A diva’s gotta have some rhinestones and bows _somewhere_, darlings! ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/6 "2009-01-20T18:05:13Z")
Her voice isn’t as strong as it was she when was 30, but it still worked for me. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/7 "2009-01-20T18:05:24Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I liked it. Her voice has a beautiful tone. But sometimes I do wonder what the anthem and America the Beautiful would sound like if great singers like Aretha sang them **straight.** > > I liked the hat too. Bolding mine. Are you saying she’s a homo? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/8 "2009-01-20T18:06:40Z")
Personally it sounded to me like a lower key would have been a better choice–the few times she dropped out of her head voice sounded MUCH more like what I was expecting from her. And ENUNCIATE dammit! ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/9 "2009-01-20T18:09:06Z")
Yea, she’s got a terminal case of melisma. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/10 "2009-01-20T18:09:19Z")
Not her best job, but the cold temp probably didn’t help. And I’m another who thought the hat was great - not something an ordinary mortal could get away with, but this was Aretha, dammit. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/11 "2009-01-20T18:10:16Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > Are you saying she’s a homo? > 😃 😛 How about “as written”? 🙂 Ya know, I didn’t know anything about her personal life so I just now looked her up. One of her husbands was Glynn Turman! ---
**Author:** ![Sublata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@Sublata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublata)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/12 "2009-01-20T18:11:39Z")
Her voice isn’t what it used to be, but so what, it’s Aretha, dammit, and the hat was fabulous. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/13 "2009-01-20T18:14:49Z")
> [@Windwalker](#): > > Yea, she’s got a terminal case of melisma. Yeah, it was just so halting and stuttering. It wasn’t even her voice (Which was awful) it was the terrible cadence. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/14 "2009-01-20T18:16:25Z")
> [@Sublata](#): > > Her voice isn’t what it used to be, but so what, it’s Aretha, dammit, and the hat was fabulous. I’ve never understood this idea. We love someone because they are good at ‘X’ then they fail horribly at ‘X’ and we’re like, ‘it’s ok because they are so and so.’, but so and so is loved for ‘X’ which she failed at. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/15 "2009-01-20T18:24:07Z")
I agree with those that say her voice has retired. I also agree with those that would like things sung without so much decoration. It is one reason why I dislike anything sung by Christina Aguilera. Not everything should be sung like it is a competition to prove your vocal agility or range. ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/16 "2009-01-20T18:26:40Z")
I don’t care who sang it; that was a godawful rendition of that song. Plus it’s kind of weird to be singing a song to the same tune as “God Save the Queen” at the inauguration, anyway. Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![Atomicflea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/17 "2009-01-20T18:30:39Z")
I’m thinking the cold and the outdoors had a lot to do with it. I watched the concert yesterday and even Beyonce and Bono had issues. It’s hard to get that booming tone when your cords are shrinking because of the cold. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/18 "2009-01-20T18:32:21Z")
I liked the hat, it was subtle compared to other things I’ve seen her wear. And her singing was very emotional and gave me goosebumps (in a good way). ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/19 "2009-01-20T18:36:36Z")
I liked the song and the hat. I could never get away with the hat, but she can. And did. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154/20 "2009-01-20T18:38:23Z")
Loved the hat, hated the song. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-during-the-inauguration-ouch/482154.md?page=2)