"Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin, passed away at the age of 76 after battling pancreatic cancer.
While the nation is remembering her and the numerous sensational songs she produced, we're also remembering her visits to Colorado.
Her most notable appearance was 50 years ago in August 1968, when she was set to perform at Red Rocks.
Back then, prices of tickets were a whopping $6, which seems unimaginable for Red Rocks tickets, now.
However, this concert didn't go down in history as a good one. In fact, Franklin didn't even sing.
Apparently, she signed a contract calling for $20,000 to be paid before she performed. Unfortunately, her promoter lost some money and told Franklin that he wouldn't be able to pay her until the next morning.
So, Franklin announced on stage that she simply wouldn't sing.
After hearing this, some people left peacefully, but a few upset fans started a riot -not just a simple chant expressing their disappointment, though. They broke chairs and music stands, damaged a grand piano and even set fire to trees, bushes and trash piles.
That night, Franklin went back to the Denver Hilton where she was staying and said that she did plan on performing and she even brought her team of 23 people all the way to Colorado to do so.
Franklin was actually in Denver three years prior to her scheduled Red Rocks performance.
She performed at the NAACP Convention Grand Ball on July 3, 1965. An article in a local African American newspaper, "The Denver Blade," covered the performance in their paper.
"Miss Franklin's style is not easily defined - she has the ability to move into an intricate jazz tune and perform vocal gymnastics - and then slip into a simple ballad," a snippet from the newspaper said.
"The Denver Blade" also noted Franklin, someone who is now known as the "Queen of Soul," as a "competent pianist -- because she sometimes accompanies herself on piano while she sings."
If only they know that the "competent pianist" that they covered in their newspaper will go down in history as the "Queen of Soul".
