Plagiarism FTW

Today marks the final day of Women's History Month. Folks from across my business unit offered messages for our entire organization that told stories about women who inspired them. Mine went up this morning. And because we need new content and I'm lazy (and we celebrate badass women here), I'll share it with you.

I’ve been a music fan my entire life. When I was younger, my Dad loved both kinds of music: Country and Western. As a result, I grew up on Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Anne Murray, June Carter Cash, and so many other amazing female artists. Later, my taste evolved and I got into less mainstream but equally remarkable performers like Neko Case, Jenny Lewis, Kay Hanley, Cat Power, and Liz Phair. Women make incredible music across all genres around the world today. But there’s only one woman that could make former President Barack Obama say this:

“Nobody embodies more fully the connection between the African-American spiritual, the blues, R. & B., rock and roll — the way that hardship and sorrow were transformed into something full of beauty and vitality and hope. American history wells up when Aretha sings. That's why, when she sits down at a piano and sings 'A Natural Woman,' she can move me to tears — the same way that Ray Charles's version of 'America the Beautiful' will always be in my view the most patriotic piece of music ever performed — because it captures the fullness of the American experience, the view from the bottom as well as the top, the good and the bad, and the possibility of synthesis, reconciliation, transcendence.”

Aretha Franklin was born 78 years ago this week in Memphis. She passed away in August 2018 in her home town of Detroit. In between, as her voice become synonymous with soul music, she earned 44 Grammy nominations (winning 18 times), became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The latter honor was bestowed upon her by President George W. Bush in recognition of both her musical achievements and her considerable influence on the civil rights movement. “When it comes to expressing yourself through song, there is no one who can touch her,” Mary J. Blige told Rolling Stone in 2008. “She is the reason why women want to sing.”

I could write a lot more about the Queen of Soul, but as Frank Zappa said, writing about music is like dancing about architecture. So here are a few of the ways Aretha Franklin moved and inspired so many people.











Thanks to all the women on our team and in our business that inspire us every day.