Why Attack Aretha? She Gave Whitney Houston R-E-S-P-E-C-T, and TRUTH

Recent media stories would have one believe that the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, purosely disrespected Whitney Houston's memory in a televised NBC interview with Al Roker and THAT is the reason she ultimately did not sing at Houston's funeral.

At least one story found it odd that NBC had removed the interview from its website, yet it IS possible to find the story (thank you YouTube) if you're patient enough and resourceful enough.

I watched the Al Roker interview of Aretha Franklin expecting to hear her claim that Whitney couldn't hold a candle to her or maybe saying that Whitney turned to the dark side or SOMETHING.

Instead, what I saw was a very balanced view of Houston's life, struggles and death, unlike most of the coverage seen since Houston's death which were either sensationalized and macabre or exultations proclaiming Houston to be a faultless angel.

No, in this story, Franklin's sadness comes through.  It is obvious that she understands what a tragic and unnecessary waste Houston's death was. 

Coverage of the piece implies that something Franklin said must have offended Houston's family.  But, if that's the case, I simply don't see it.

The ONLY thing that one could stretch into a dig might be the highlighted remark below, but I would strongly disagree.  Here is a partial transcript of the NBC interview in question: 

AF = Aretha Franklin -- AR = Al Roker

AF:  “When one has as much success as she did, almost overnight, and she had phenomenal success overnight, so I’m sure it was very overwhelming for her at times.  You get a lot of adoration when people like you.  It’s easy to lose sight of yourself. 

AR:  Did she ever talk to you looking for any sort of guidance or counsel?

AF:  No, but early on, I let her know then that if she needed any advice, and if she needed to talk about anything, she could always call me.

AR:  But the call never came.  And, so, Franklin watched from afar as Whitney’s success faded and she desperately tried time and again to regain her superstar status including the 2009 European tour, when dogged by rumors of alcohol and drug abuse, Whitney’s once magical voice, tragically let her down.

AF: She had a number of difficult evenings in Europe.  I watched that online myself.  I didn’t like what I saw happening.  The audience was very rude.  I’m sure she was totally devastated by the time it was over.

You know, when you’re a singer, and you can’t sing what it is you want to sing, when you can’t give the audience what you want to give, it’s very disheartening.

AR: Franklin says she saw something else in those scenes of anguish, that fighting spirit that her mother Cissy had instilled in Whitney.  That was still there.

AF:  She stood there, let me tell you, she stood there and with the heart of a champion, she went through it night after night. 

AR: At the end of 2011, Franklin says she finally saw hopeful signs that Whitney could finally resurrect her career, in a preview of “SPARKLE,” in which Whitney executive produced and starred in. 

AF:  She looked fresh, healthy.  She looked gorgeous, and I thought, ‘Yes, she has conquered her challenges and she’s on her way.' 

Certainly her body of work is going to go on for generations to come, from generation to generation. 

AR:  This ending, do you think it tarnishes it at all, or takes away from it?

AF:  No, I don’t.  I don’t think we should focus on the challenges that she had because in some ways, we all have challenges from time to time.  Look at the character of a person, and the character of a woman.  Think about the hits, and forget about the misses.

AR:  How are you going to remember her?

AF:  As an adorable young lady, as Cissy’s baby, a great artist, a very kind and giving person, a very sensitive young lady. 

AR:  Isn’t it ironic that it comes full circle, back to New Hope Baptist Church?

AF:  She didn’t just smile, she twingkled, so I wrote something with that in mind.  “Twinkle, twinkle, superstar, we don’t wonder where you are.  Up above the world so bright, like a diamond in the night.  Twinkle, twinkle, she’s still alone, I can’t believe that she’s gone.”

American Truism #4.