Cologne Summer Festival: Honor for Aretha Franklin with a rousing musical!

Cologne Summer Festival: Honor for Aretha Franklin with a rousing musical!

On June 14, 2025, the Cologne Summer Festival thrilled people with a special preview of the upcoming show “Respect – The Aretha Franklin Story”. Ron Williams and Darnita Williams presented the song “Ain’t but the one” in the record store “Good Mood Records” in Cologne-Lindenthal. The title is also part of the festival performance, which will be performed in the Philharmonie from July 29th to August 6th.

Ron Williams told the presentation how Aretha Franklin recorded the gospel song with Ray Charles at the age of 16. Her career was significantly influenced by Charles, who discovered her in her parents' home in Detroit. Despite the difficult living conditions that Aretha Franklin experienced due to her parents' early separation and a stressful marriage, she found solace in her music. “Aretha saw her songs as a source of strength that helped her through difficult times,” emphasized Ron Williams.

Influence and significance of Aretha Franklin

Franklin's best-known hit "Respect" became not only her trademark, but also an anthem of the African-American civil rights movement. This connection to social justice is repeatedly brought up in discussions about its influence on society and music. Aretha Franklin has achieved recognition across decades in various music genres, including soul, R'n'B, gospel, jazz and pop, and has been awarded an impressive 18 Grammys. In 1986, she was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Darnita Williams also performed the song “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman” during the event. This title is about Aretha Franklin's relationship with her husband and highlights the emotional facets of her life. Ron Williams paid homage to Aretha Franklin's courage and belief in herself, while also criticizing the current political situation in the United States and underscoring the relevance of her music to current struggles.

The cultural context of music

The relevance of Franklin and her music is reinforced by the current social unrest, in which historical protest songs are once again gaining prominence. Artists like Mahalia Jackson, considered the “Queen of Gospel,” and her influence on Martin Luther King's civil rights movement are examples of how music and activism are intertwined. Aretha Franklin's songs, particularly "Respect," were understood not only as artistic expressions, but also as powerful messages of feminism and civil rights, as highlighted in grammy.com.

The show “Respect – The Aretha Franklin Story,” performed with a ten-piece live band and five talented singers, not only offers a retrospective of Franklin's life, but also illuminates the deeper social meaning of her music in difficult times. Tickets for the show are available from 44.50 euros, which underlines the broad accessibility of the festival. The event promises to be an outstanding experience both musically and emotionally.