Aretha Franklin

As our gem and gravity center, Black popular music culture used to be the place where we found answers and joy, a balm in our Gilead. A Stevie Wonder song, or a hip-hop anthem like “Headed for Self-Destruction” was a map. Aretha sang about “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.”

Aretha Franklin’s legacy will be honored in the only appropriate way this month, with a full-fledged tribute concert and dance party. “R.E.S.P.E.C.T — A Celebration of the Music of Aretha Franklin,” at the Emerson Colonial Theatre March 17 and 18, brings powerful vocals and essential history to the stage.