TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - Back in the day, legendary Toledo DJ Charlie Chuck spun all of Aretha Franklin's hits on WKLR and later on Juice 107.3 on his Saturday morning "Rhythm and Blues Showgram."
"Called here Re-Re. My girlfriend. I said that's the only girlfriend my wife would allow me to have. Re-Re. Aretha Franklin," he said.
Charlie met Aretha once.
He said she was shy; a contrast to performances he said always had the house in an uproar.
"Aretha had a gospel soul and spirit about herself. Everything she touched would sound like gospel versus secular music. She put her soul into it. Lady of Soul," Charlie said.
Toledo's Soul Hustle Band is rehearing for their next gig August 30 at Toledo Botanical Garden.
There will be no shortage of Aretha tunes.
Singer Anitra Chery says her favorite song is "Rock Steady."
She's saddened by the queen's death and said that she'd been listening all day to her music.
"Her power, most definitely. She comes from a church background, which I do as well. But she has so much power in her voice that she can captivate a room with one note," Anitra said.
Sasha Clayborne has been singing Aretha tunes since high school.
She said that she'd always admired how she could belt out a song.
"Her confidence. And she's definitely a diva and has a natural anointing in her voice," Sasha said.
A voice reminding us Aretha Franklin will always be the "Queen of Soul."
