Six months after recovering from an unspecified condition that made her seriously ill, Aretha Franklin wowed the crowd at her Chicago Theatre concert tonight with a set including most of her biggest hits.
It was quite a turnound from December, when some news reports speculated that Franklin was gravely ill and in dire condition.
Accompanied by a 21-piece orchestra and looking positively regal in a purple gown, the Queen of Soul kicked off the show with the Northern soul classic "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher," originally performed by Jackie Wilson.
It was the first of several old R&B covers throughout the set. She even sat down at the piano to play a rollicking version of "You Send Me" by Sam Cooke, whom she referred to as "my mentor."
Her voice sounded fantastic. She earned the first of multiple standing ovations with her stunning vocal operatics at the end of the ballad "Angel."
As the show continued, alternating between slower and up-tempo songs, Franklin made a few passing references to her illness. She said, "My grandma said it's not about going in when you're in the operating room - it's about coming out."
The diva shook her ample backside suggestively on "Giving Him Something He Can Feel." Later, after introducing the Reverend Jesse Jackson, one of her many guests, Aretha performed a gospel number while dancing around the stage in heels, a stunning feat for a 69-year-old woman.
By the time Aretha left us with "Freeway of Love" and "Respect," she had had enough. She was done hitting the high notes - she let the audience do it for her. She took off her heels and bathed in the admiration, and then departed into the night.
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