Topic: Aretha Franklin

American Idol finale recap: America crowns its next 'Idol' (+video)

On Thursday night, American Idol revealed who America chose as their next Idol. Was it Kree Harrison or Candice Glover?

Ella Fitzgerald: A legacy kept alive in theater

Google celebrates the birthday of Ella Fitzgerald, the acclaimed African-American singer. The Ella Fitzgerald Theater in her hometown of Newport News, Va., has worked to embody her legacy in its training programs and performances.

Phil Ramone dies, leaving 14-Grammy legacy with biggest stars

Phil Ramone dies: A Grammy-award winning engineer and producer, Phil Ramone worked with some of the biggest names in the music business, including Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney, Aretha Franklin, and Ray Charles.

Will you remember me?: The greatest one-hit wonders of the 2000s

Check out our picks for the best songs from the 2000s whose artists made the charts with these hits, but never released another successful song.

Marvin Hamlisch remembered for musical scores on Broadway and film

The composer, who passed away Monday in California, won multiple awards for his music that was heard on stage and screen.

American Idol: Will Randy Jackson stay? (+video)

American Idol: With both Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler leaving their judging gigs on Fox, Randy Jackson is once again the sole remaining judge . . . for now. 

Decoder Wire Bob Dylan awarded Medal of Freedom. What does that say about US? (+video)

Why did Bob Dylan look so strained during the Medal of Freedom ceremony at the White House Tuesday? Perhaps because his musical insurgency was being memorialized.

Carole King

Carole King's memoir is short on musical details, but long on the artist's personal saga.

Top Picks: Historian Niall Ferguson on PBS, Carole King's demos, and more

National Geographic's digital edition shines on the iPad, an old newsreel shows window washers in 1938, and more top picks.

Chapter & Verse James Brown: the electrifying one and only

Journalist RJ Smith explores the magic and mayhem of James Brown in a new biography of the legendary performer.

American Idol: Why is Jermaine Jones in Top 13 boys?

American Idol recap: The 'gentle giant' Jermaine Jones rejoined the other 12 male semifinalists for the first live American Idol episode.  How did the boys do?

Whitney Houston remembered at hometown funeral

The biggest names in entertainment swayed to gospel hymns at Whitney Houston's hometown funeral Saturday in the church where the future pop star once sang as a young girl.

Whitney Houston funeral: Family and friends gather for last goodbye

To the world, Whitney Houston was the pop queen with the perfect voice, the dazzling diva with regal beauty. Those closest to her will gather Saturday at a private funeral to say goodbye.

Whitney Houston: a singing sensation silenced too soon

Whitney Houston, who died tragically Saturday in Los Angeles, was a child of the African-American church and a trailblazer for black female singers. Whitney Houston, some say, had a 'once-in-a-generation' voice. 

Whitney Houston was the golden girl of the music industry

Whitney Houston, who died Saturday, wowed audiences with effortless, powerful, and peerless vocals rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.

'Soul Train' icon Don Cornelius changed the beat of the nation

'Soul Train' creator, Don Cornelius, took the pulse of black culture and broadcast it into living rooms across the nation. Before Facebook and Twitter, he connected a generation of teens. 

Winfrey farewell show taped live in front of 13,000 fans

Winfrey farewell: The show being taped Tuesday afternoon will be the finale of 'The Oprah Winfrey Show,' according to Harpo Productions. The show will air on Wednesday.

Oprah Winfrey bumps NBA playoffs, welcomes Maria Shriver to United Center

Oprah Winfrey, Maria Shriver, Tom Hanks, Beyonce, and Michael Jordan were part of a star-studded cast at the Tuesday taping of two of the last Oprah Winfrey shows in Chicago's United Center.

Chain, chain, chain ... chain CPI

Is the Consumer Price Index really the best way to measure inflation?

American Idol contestants rock, Paul McDonald peaks

American Idol contestants put on the best Idol show of the season Wednesday with rock 'n' roll hits. Paul McDonald and Scotty McCreery showed American Idol fans what they can do.

Christina Aguilera national anthem: why she flubbed it

Christina Aguilera mumbled some lines and moved others around at her Super Bowl performance. Here are two possible reasons that the Christina Aguilera national anthem didn't go more smoothly.

Difference Maker Matching kids with adults who live their dream

Chris Balme puts together at-risk teens and business-world mentors who show them a brighter future.

Isabel Wilkerson, author of “The Warmth of Other Suns,” on "the biggest underreported story of the 20th century"

Why did 6 million US blacks leave their homes? Author Isabel Wilkerson talks about "the Great Migration" and how it reshaped the US.

Unemployment up? Not in these four maverick cities.

The US lost jobs in September and the unemployment rate remains at a high 9.6 percent, the US Department of Labor reported Friday. But some metropolitan areas are bucking the trend and adding jobs. By making everything from food to music and band instruments, these four metros have seen the biggest year-over-year decline in their unemployment rates. Is your city on this list?

Aretha Franklin: R-E-S-P-E-C-T the arts in school budgets