Aretha Franklin's unmatched musical career unfolds through three decades of performances.

This program traces the meteoric rise to fame of the world-famous Queen of Soul.  The film focuses on Aretha's musical development, tracing her progress from her early strengths as a Detroit gospel singer to the wide stylistic and emotional range she comes to command.  The moving, emphatic quality of Aretha's singing is demonstrated in clips from film and television appearances, as well as original footage of one of her recording sessions. Interviews with the people who contributed to her musical career illuminate the stages of her artistic growth.  An interview with Aretha herself, the first woman to enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, reveals her own perspective on her past.