ABSTRACT
This chapter examines Aretha Franklin's Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington as a compelling manifestation of this singer's early attempts to master the nuances of black vocal traditions. She offers a riveting display of vocal power, a representation of rage whose source could very well be her inability to match or improve upon, within the context of the lyrics' self-imposed limits, her idol's performance. More important than depicting herself as refined, sophisticated, or heartbroken is her desire to project herself as the mythic, combative, strong woman ubiquitous in the black cultural imagination. According to her autobiography, the voice of Franklin's precursor is no more significant than those of the long list of contemporaries. Over and over in From These Roots, Franklin manifests an abiding concern with artistic succession. Later, Franklin is able to turn the tables, as it were, refusing, in quite dramatic fashion, to honor Chuck Jackson's contributions publicly.
