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Amazing Grace Aretha Franklin

Source: Courtesy of NEON / Courtesy of NEON

New Film “Amazing Grace” Charts Aretha Franklin’s Live Recording Of Gospel Album

A new documentary about Aretha Franklin promises to show the Queen of Soul in a way many fans have never seen her.

Gone are the fur coats, gowns and jewelry that typified the gospel and soul singer’s larger than life persona in recent years for the new film “Amazing Grace.” Instead, the then afro-sporting 29-year-old is stripped back and lets her voice do most of the talking.

“This Aretha Franklin is a little bit different,” “Amazing Grace” producer Tirrell Whitley told BOSSIP. “She was just coming out of the 60s Black Power Movement, she’s wearing her afro….The experience of Aretha Franklin at the age of 29 at the peak of her power.”

Franklin recorded the live performance in 1972 over two nights in a South Central L.A. church in front of an audience that included her father the Rev. C.L. Franklin, gospel greats Clara Ward and Mother Ward, the Rolling Stones Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts.

Amazing Grace Aretha Franklin

Source: Courtesy of NEON / Courtesy of NEON

Her resulting album, “Amazing Grace,” went double platinum, won a Grammy, and went on to be the Frankin’s best selling album of her career, Whitley said.

Because the footage was shot out of sync, it sat in a vault for almost 40 years before a film company was able to sync the footage with the audio. Although the movie does have imperfections like out of focus shots, Whitley said that it was Franklin who pulls everything together.

“The great thing is that the film had excellence in the making and her voice carries it through,” he said, adding that Franklin gave the film her blessing before she passed away last year aged 76.

Whitley said the film is ideal for sororities, churches and other groups to screen.

“This film takes you to church and it ministers to you in a unique way,” he said.

“Amazing Grace” is now in theaters nationwide.

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