Earlier this month, there were reports that Aretha Franklin’s health had gotten worse due to the tumor in her pancreas. Several news sources like the BBC said that the legendary soul singer was under hospice care surrounded by family and friends including Stevie Wonder. Later reports even mentioned that Franklin started to become alert as she was already laughing and talking. However on August 16, she passed away at the age of 76, leaving behind half a century’s worth of legacy.
Tributes then started pouring out mentioning how much Aretha Franklin had influenced and inspired a lot of artists and other people. One of the unexpected ways the icon impacted pop culture was on her distinct singing style, which not only influenced major singers today, but also influenced how young hopeful singers sing in television singing competition shows like American Idol and The X Factor.
Aretha Franklin’s 1967 song “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” has been sung multiple times in singing competition series mentioned earlier and in others like “America’s Got Talent”, “The Voice”, and “Popstars”. According to the Washington Post, singers have always wanted to sing like Aretha, and her songs including “Respect” and “Chains of Fools” continue to be staples on many singing shows.