The 2017 show Elton John couldn’t get enough of: “The performance of a lifetime”
Elton John knows better than most that the music business isn’t for the faint of heart.
Some of the greatest artists in the world have had their fair share of struggles, and even if there were moments where John felt like he was on top of the world, they were often undercut by staggering lows every single time that he found himself alone and strung out back in the day. But he knew that the greatest silver lining that any musician could leave behind is knowing that they have absolutely killed any of their performances.
Because as much as John turned every one of his records into a symphony, it was never about trying to play the studio every single time he performed. He liked the idea of making songs that could translate to an audience, and even when he was taking a few liberties with the keys, John was never going to bother lip-syncing or stooping to the level of miming to any number of his tracks.
That was for people who had stopped caring about their audience, and John wasn’t going to be caught dead doing that whenever he made a new album. He was still the same hammy performer that he had always been, and he wanted the opportunity to flaunt everything that he had whenever he performed. But even a diva of his stature is no match for someone who really knew what they were doing.
And while John had previously had spats with people like Tina Turner, he still had a great deal of respect for people that were truly in their element. That’s half the reason why he was so invested in what Eminem was doing or when new artists like Lady Gaga came out of the woodwork, but if you’re talking about respect, all of us must bend a knee and take a bow whenever Aretha Franklin’s voice comes on.
Compared to every other rock and roll singer, Franklin could put anybody to shame no matter what she was singing. A lot of that came from growing up singing in church, but even if the most staunch atheist listen to her sing during her prime, they would have sworn that they saw some kind of higher power whenever she sang tunes like ‘You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman’ and ‘Chain of Fools’.
That kind of perfection can’t be imitated, and even to her final performance, John felt that Franklin was doing everything she could to play to the back row of the venue, saying, “I honestly didn’t know how she could possibly perform in the physical condition I saw her in. And she did perform. She raised the roof. And I think it’s because she was inspired by being in the cathedral. She went to church. She went back to where she came from and she raised the roof, and she sang, and she played, and she made us all weep. She gave us the performance of a lifetime.”
But when you look at any of Franklin’s performances, that wasn’t exactly a new occurrence. Just look at the way that she sings during the Kennedy Center Honours for Carole King, and you will see someone that is in complete control of their voice, to the pint where she sounds like she could put most of the pop divas half her age to shame the minute that they even attempt to get a note out.
Watching her was like an otherworldly experience, but Franklin’s style is what all singers hope to do with their music. Anyone can try to hit all of the notes in time and be exactly right whenever they sing, but being able to send someone on a musical ride like she does is the real art behind making those classic tunes.
