Aretha Louise Franklin was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. She known as one of the most influential singers of all time, and as an activist who spoke of the world through her music, and used music as a tool for truth, justice, and soul. Inspirational Aretha Franklin quotes will help you to gain confidence, motivate you to live your best life and change the World.
If you’re searching for famous quotations about life that perfectly capture what you’d like to say or just want to feel inspired yourself, browse through an amazing collection of amazing John Lennon quotes, famous Beyonce quotes, and inspirational Frank Sinatra quotes.
Famous Aretha Franklin Quotes
We all require and want respect, man or woman, black or white. It’s our basic human right.
The love of my life? I’m much too young to answer that question.
Women absolutely deserve respect.
I sing to the realists. People who accept it like it is.
Falling out of love is like losing weight. It’s a lot easier putting it on than taking it off.
Everybody wants respect. In their own way, three-year-olds would like respect, and acknowledgment, in their terms.
The man who gets me is getting one hell of a woman.
I think women and children and older people are the three least-respected groups in our society.
I’ve always felt that rock & roll was very, very wholesome.
I’ve been around long enough for people to know who I am and what my contributions are. They know me as more than just an artist. I think they know me as a woman as well.
Music changes, and I’m gonna change right along with it.
Music does a lot of things for a lot of people. It’s transporting, for sure. It can take you right back, years back, to the very moment certain things happened in your life. It’s uplifting, it’s encouraging, it’s strengthening.
You cannot define a person on just one thing. You can’t just forget all these wonderful and good things that a person has done because one thing didn’t come off the way you thought it should come off.
It really is an honor if I can be inspirational to a younger singer or person. It means I’ve done my job.
Politics are not my arena. Music is.
Being a singer is a natural gift. It means I’m using to the highest degree possible the gift that God gave me to use. I’m happy with that.
Being the Queen is not all about singing and being a diva is not all about singing. It has much to do with your service to people. And your social contributions to your community and your civic contributions as well.
Be your own artist, and always be confident in what you’re doing. If you’re not going to be confident, you might as well not be doing it.
Who hasn’t had a weight issue? If not the body, certainly the big head!
Don’t say Aretha is making a comeback, because I’ve never been away!
It’s very satisfying. To perform the way you want to. And the way you know that you can.
Trying to grow up is hurting. You make mistakes. You try to learn from them, and when you don’t, it hurts even more.
Women have broken through the glass ceiling, and they’re now more and more in the power seats.
We didn’t have music videos. You weren’t an overnight sensation. You had to work at it and learn your craft: how to take care of your voice, how to pace your concerts, all that trial and error.
If a song’s about something I’ve experienced or that could’ve happened to me it’s good. But if it’s alien to me, I couldn’t lend anything to it. Because that’s what soul is all about.
Soul is a constant. It’s cultural. It’s always going to be there, in different flavors and degrees.
I know people I feel are extremely talented, but I don’t know that I’ve ever heard any geniuses.
I’m a big woman. I need big hair.
The milk of kindness flows through my body, I shall follow Jesus to the Taco Bell and give thanks.
I’m the lady next door when I’m not on stage.
52 years of recording for other people. I thought at this point, it’s time for you to record for yourself. So that way there wouldn’t be so many spoons in the soup. There would just be one Aretha spoon in the soup.
Inspirational Aretha Franklin Quotes
I’ve never recorded anything I didn’t like.
Let’s start with the church. As you know, it’s my background, it’s a natural setting for me and it’s definitely my roots.
Yes, I’ve always been fashion conscious.
My generation, we came along, we had to really know our craft.
Men have always been gentlemen to me – responsible people with healthy attitudes.
As a parent you try to maintain a certain amount of control and so you have this tug-of-war… You have to learn when to let go. And that’s not easy.
If you disrespect everybody that you run into, how in the world do you think everybody’s supposed to respect you?
My faith always has been and always will be important to me.
When God loves you, what can be better than that?
Sometimes, what you’re looking for is already there.
People really don’t have to give you anything, so appreciate what people give you.
I remember singing around the house to records that were playing. All kinds of music. And the great James Cleveland was often in our house, and I grew up with his sound as well.
Better friends than lovers. Sugar can’t you see? You need you and I really need me.
I don’t feel one’s personal medical condition is everybody’s business. It just isn’t something you advertise, and it’s not open to discussion.
You’re a no good heartbreaker, you’re a liar, and you’re a cheat. I don’t know why I let you do these things to me.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me.
I donate heavily to the church and various churches in the Detroit community and food banks.
It’s hard. When you love food, and when you’ve done a high energy concert, you know, a carrot is not gonna work.
I don’t do crazy things – I just don’t.
