The death of the great Aretha Franklin jogged this memory:
The afternoon before the start of the 1996 Democratic National Convention was a usual Chicago summer steamer. Hundreds of photographers, reporters and technicians crammed into the United Center for the air conditioning and the usual pre-convention tasks – plugging in laptops, testing the electrical hookups, checking out seating and sight lines.
It was a time before the 911 attacks and security was lax, by current standards. As the media folks and the techies milled about, Aretha and her band came out to practice for her appearance at the convention. As she launched into the Star Spangled Banner, the entire gang of reporters and techies stopped and listened. Hundreds stood in awe as Franklin, daughter of an iconic civil rights preacher, queen of gospel and soul, warmed up. No one went back to their work until she was done.
RIP to the greatest.
