One of Rolling Stone’s Best Music Books of the Year
“Respect is a comprehensive, illuminating, and unfailingly solicitous account of a life that, whatever its tribulations, conflicts, and complications, has always somehow been redeemed by Franklin’s musical calling.… Ritz has an exceptional capacity to listen with care and sympathy to what people tell him, and then render their words vividly and compassionately.”
—Gene Seymour, USA Today
“Clearly the book Ritz has been preparing to write his whole life. It’s stuffed full with revealing interviews.… Knowing the details of Franklin’s complicated, sometimes painful life… helps deepen an appreciation of the pain and passion that fueled her music.”
—Gavin Edwards, Rolling Stone
“You’ll be in the nimble hands of a pro if you read Respect.”
—Janet Maslin, New York Times
“An honest and genuinely respectful portrait of a true diva by a writer who feels the power of her art.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“David Ritz’s Respect judiciously captures the conflicted life of the legendary Queen of Soul.”
—Lisa Shea, Elle
“A fascinating, delicious depiction of the life of a woman who’d rather not be depicted.… A book so juicy, it is dripping.”
—Rich Juzwiak, Gawker
“A remarkably complex portrait of Aretha Franklin’s music and her tumultuous life.”
—Rolling Stone
“A candid, far less sanitized look at the enormously gifted but demanding diva.”
—People
“Respect will stand as one of Ritz’s greatest and most unusual achievements: a rich, definitive portrait set in motion by a bit of unfinished business.”
—Nate Chinen, New York Times
“A compelling and much-needed redo on the career and complicated life of Aretha Franklin.… An unflinching portrait of a musical genius.”
—Thor Christensen, Dallas Morning News
“Only someone who had the complete confidence and trust of Aretha’s family and the elite of the Gospel and Rhythm and Blues communities could have gotten this story. An intimate and thorough account of this phenomenal woman’s talent and life as only David Ritz could capture.”
—Tommy LiPuma, Grammy-winning producer
“Drawing on previous work and interviews with those close to Franklin, Ritz offers a portrait of a woman for whom faith and respect are essential.”
—Vanessa Bush, Booklist
“The most comprehensive and accurate account of Franklin yet published.”
—Christopher Loudon, Macleans
“Commendable for its depth… as well as Ritz’s highly readable, captivating style. It’s a compelling record of the life of a musical titan and a fascinating picture of the process of recording some of the seminal popular music of our time.… The king of cowriters provides the queen of soul with the definitive biography, along with a healthy dose of reverence, reflection, and, above all, R.E.S.P.E.C.T.”
—Bill Baars, Library Journal
“The most revealing and well-rounded portrait of the Queen ever written.”
—Jim Farber, New York Daily News
“Ritz’s research—based on interviews with Franklin’s siblings and departed legends from Ahmet Ertegun to Vandross—is solid, and he vividly expresses what made Aretha’s voice and albums so monumental in the sixties.”
—David Browne, Rolling Stone
“A major biography, and unauthorized in the extreme.”
—Robert Christgau, Barnes & Noble Review
“The richest record of her friends’ and family’s words that we are likely to get.… Reads like a series of inner-circle conversations held at the barbershop, beauty salon, or kitchen table.”
—Emily J. Lord, Los Angeles Review of Books
“Ritz’s intimate and elegant voice steps from behind the veil of the ghostwriter to tell a tale of genius, dysfunction, and blind ambition, describing a world of triumph and tragedy of near mythic proportions. A great read and a really heroic work of biography—honest, loving, no-holds-barred.”
—Ben Sidran, author of There Was a Fire
“The monumental biography we’ve been waiting for of Lady Soul, our greatest soul singer, from the also very great David Ritz, confidant to an entire generation of soul stars—Ray, Smokey, B.B., Etta, Marvin, et cetera. He is The Man. This is The Book.”
—Joel Selvin, author of Here Comes the Night: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm and Blues
“People will be reading Respect generations from now to understand our musical culture. David Ritz deserves a lifetime achievement award for ‘Most Soul Full Account of America’s Music.’”
— Charles Keil, author of Urban Blues