Aretha Franklin, who died Thursday at 76, earned her title as Queen of Soul for her enduring anthems like "Respect" and "Think." And the music legend also sang those songs in her first and only fictional movie role, starring in the 1980 movie The Blues Brothers and its eventual sequel. Starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, The Blues Brothers was the first movie based on a Saturday Night Live sketch, on which Belushi and Aykroyd developed the characters. This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Aykroyd and Belushi play a pair of ex-con soul singers who are trying to put together a benefit concert to save the Catholic orphanage where they were raised. Over the course of the film, the brothers reconnect with musicians they've met in the past, and these musicians are played by an all-star cast of performers that include Ray Charles, James Brown, and of course, Aretha Franklin. When the brothers try to recruit their lead guitarist, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, for their backup band, they find him working in a diner with his wife, played by Franklin. Franklin's Mrs. Murphy doesn't want her husband joining his old bandmates, and she expresses her feelings through song. This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. That song, "Think," was originally released in 1968, and it became Franklin's seventh top 10 hit in the United States. The film's version is a new, longer version of the song. As The Boombox reports, Franklin wrote about her first film role in her autobiography, Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul. "The Blues Brothers was something I enjoyed making tremendously. It was my debut in film. The only thing I really didn’t like about it was the hours. I had to get up at seven o’clock in the morning to get ready to be on the set. But once you got there, and once you started rolling, then everything fell into place. I had a lot of fun with Belushi, and Dan Aykroyd—great guys—big sense of humor, and very, very professional and astute. So I had a good time. It makes everything so much easier when you’re having fun and you’re enjoying what you’re doing." The film also gave a much needed boost to Franklin's career, as it earned $115 million at the box office. At the time, soul and R&B were declining in popularity, as the film's director John Landis explained to film website HeyUGuys: "You have to remember that in 1979 when we made the movie, rhythm and blues was basically over, and the number one music in the world was Abba, the Bee Gees and disco... So when people ask, how did you get the likes of Aretha Franklin and James Brown, it was easy. We just called them and said, ‘Wanna job?'" Franklin almost missed out on the role. Universal Studios executives wanted younger, fresher acts, like Rose Royce, the band that sung the theme song from Car Wash. The creatives behind the project refused to replace the legendary singer, and the rest is history. Aretha Franklin poses with the Blues Brothers John Goodman (L), J.Evan Bonifant (2nd L), Joe Morton (2nd R) and Dan Aykroyd (R), after performing at the 40th Grammy Awards in 1998. TIMOTHY A. CLARY Getty Images Her appearance in Blues Brothers and her new recording contract with record label Arista saw her return to the Billboard charts with the album Jump to It. As BBC reports, the title track of that album became her first US Top 40 hit in six years. Eighteen years after the original, Blues Brothers 2000 was released in 1998 with Franklin reprising her role as Mrs. Murphy, this time singing a version of "Respect." All of Franklin's other film appearances were documentaries, and she never played another fictional role in a movie. This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Temi Adebowale Temi Adebowale is the Editorial Assistant at Men's Health. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>The roots of Franklin’s life and music could be found in the church. So at the height of her fame, long after she had crossed over from gospel singer to R&B sensation, Franklin went to South Central L.A. and performed over two nights at the New Temple Baptist Missionary Church before a live congregation and with the assistance of gospel star Reverend James Cleveland.<doc-sep>Aretha Franklin's cultural contributions are too numerous to list, but it certainly is uplifting to try. The Queen of Soul died of pancreatic cancer on Thursday, surrounded by family at her home in Detroit. She was 76. Here are some of Franklin's best-known moments – collisions of artistry, personality and versatility that illustrate how she shaped pop culture in ways large and small. 'Respect' Topping the Billboard pop singles chart in 1967, Franklin’s signature song was everything a classic should be and more. If the multitude of protest movements during the second half of the 20th century had to share one anthem, this would be it. ‘Queen of Soul’:Aretha Franklin, who transformed American music, dies at 76 Reaction:John Legend, Barbra Streisand and other celebs grieve Lenny Kravitz:Aretha 'meant so much to me' Inauguration of President Barack Obama Franklin’s memorable hat by Detroit milliner Luke Song became a web sensation (how many other singers are meme-worthy for their fashion alone? ), but it was the pure emotion of her rendition of “America (My Country 'Tis of Thee)” that blessed the 2009 swearing-in ceremony of America’s first African-American president. 'The Blues Brothers' Franklin’s career was rejuvenated by her appearance in the 1980 comedy as a slippers-wearing waitress who schools her man with the energetic “Think.” According to Mental Floss, Universal Pictures pushed for a newer group like Rose Royce to handle the number, but the movie’s star Dan Aykroyd insisted on Aretha, thank goodness. 'Nessun Dorma' on 20 minutes notice When Franklin subbed for an ailing Luciano Pavarotti at the 1998 Grammys, she had 20 minutes to prepare. In yet another stunning demonstration of her musical brilliance, she gave the operatic aria all of the emotional impact of her popular music while staying true to its classical score. Fur drop at Kennedy Center Honors At a December 2015 Kennedy Center Honors event, Franklin left her seat at the piano during a performance of "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” for Carole King. Then she dramatically dropped her fur coat to the stage floor, achieving a wow factor much greater than a mic drop. Franklin shared a practical explanation with Vogue for the gesture: “I wasn’t sure about the air factor onstage, and air can mess with the voice from time to time. ... Once I determined that the air was all right while I was singing, I said, “Let’s get out of this coat! I’m feeling it. Let’s go!' ” 'Murphy Brown' cameo Speaking of “Natural Woman,” Franklin did a duet with Candice Bergen on “Murphy Brown” in 1991, at the height of the media sitcom’s popularity. It was just a cameo, but, of course, the diva got more laughs than the show’s star with her reaction to Bergen’s “ah-ooh” backup vocals. Tag-teaming 'Natural Woman' with fellow divas The first gathering of pop music royalty in 1998 featured the Queen of Soul and the headlining crown princesses: Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan, Celine Dion, Carole King and Shania Twain. As usual, Franklin showed everyone how it’s done, particularly during her duet with Carey on “Chain of Fools.”<doc-sep>
The Queen of Soul had a talent for acting, too The fur drop. The hat. The tears in the president’s eyes. Aretha Franklin, who died on Aug. 16 at the age of 76, was called the Queen of Soul for a reason. But her talents went beyond singing — did you know she was in The Blues Brothers? And earned laughs on Murphy Brown? Here’s a look at some of her pop culture highlights. On the set of The Blues Brothers Aretha Franklin with John Belushi and Dan Akroyd on the set of 1980’s The Blues Brothers | Credit: Sunset Boulevard/Corbis/Getty Joining The Blues Brothers Franklin showed off her acting chops in 1980’s The Blues Brothers, and “knocked everyone out,” star John Belushi told PEOPLE. “She’s a fine, fine actress, and I’d work with her again anytime.” He wasn’t alone: Universal Pictures even ran a campaign to get Franklin a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nod, though failed. Still, “I was very pleased with my performance,” she said. “Happy memories of being with Aretha on movie sets and industry events,” Akroyd posted to Twitter Thursday. “The Queen had a wry, skeptical eye on the world but once you got her laughing you were in. What a voice! What a soul. Angel choirs should prepare for increased rehearsal and discipline.” “I Knew You Were Waiting for Me” Franklin’s 1987 duet with George Michael became her first Hot 100 No. 1 since “Respect” two decades earlier. Originally pitched to Tina Turner as a solo number, the song went to Franklin and Michael at the suggestion of Arista Records impresario Clive Davis. Michael, who had recently split with his Wham! partner Andrew Rigeley, recalled being extremely nervous to sing with one of his great vocal heroes. “Nobody can emulate Aretha Franklin,” he wrote in his book, Bare. “It’s stupid to try. I just tried to stay in character, keep it simple — it was very understated in comparison to what she did.” Dueting with Murphy Brown In 1991, Franklin again made a case for her acting skills in a cameo on the popular sitcom, sitting down at the piano with Brown (Candice Bergen) for “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” Bergen chimed in hilariously on backup. GRAMMYS, NEW YORK, USA Aretha Franklin performing at the 1998 Grammy Awards | Credit: MARL LENNIHAN/AP/REX/Shutterstock The 1998 Grammy Awards Franklin was a last-minute sub for an ailing Luciano Pavarotti at the ceremony that year, and had only 20 minutes to prepare his signature “Nessun Dorma,” according to USA Today. But no one would’ve guessed, given her moving performance of the aria (in Italian, no less!). Inauguration Ceremony of United States President, Barack Obama, US Capitol, Washington DC, America - 20 Jan 2009 Aretha Franklin performing at the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama | Credit: REX/Shutterstock President Obama’s 2009 Inauguration Her appearance at President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration was incredible, but what really got people talking was her Swarovski-crystal-studded hat, which quickly took off as the day’s most major meme. The 2015 Kennedy Center Honors Paying tribute to Carole King at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors, Franklin had the crowd on its feet (and tears in President Obama’s eyes) as she belted “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” Extra points for the fur coat drop.