Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin is the undisputed "Queen of Soul" and the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She is a singer of great passion and control whose finest recordings define the term soul music in all its deep, expressive glory. As Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun observed, "I don't think there's anybody I have known who possesses an instrument like hers and who has such a thorough background in gospel, the blues and the essential black-music idiom... She is blessed with an extraordinary combination of remarkable urban sophistication and of the deep blues feeling that comes from the Delta. The result is maybe the greatest singer of our time."

Franklin's greatest triumph — and an enduring milestone in popular music — was "Respect." Her fervent reworking of the Otis Redding-penned number can now be viewed as an early volley in the women's movement. As a measure of her impact, Aretha Franklin has charted more Top Forty singles — forty-five in all, since 1961 — than any other female performer.

Lenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz is a student of classic rock, soul, funk, and psychedelia. With a huge appetite for all things Jimi Hendrix, Sly and the Family Stone and the Beatles, Kravitz emerged at the end of the '80s, embracing the music of his childhood. On his first album Let Love Rule, he plays all instruments himself (guitars, bass, organ, drums, etc.). The sound is raw and largely acoustic, just beats, bass lines, and Hammond B-3's, like a collision of Prince and solo John Lennon. Kravitz's albums are high-energy craft and show his mastery of the recording studio. His seminal moments include "Are You Gonna Go My Way," "Mr. Cabdriver," "Stand By My Woman" and "Always On The Run."

Annie Lenox

Annie Lennox was a member of the Eurythmics, one of the greatest of the 1980’s British pop bands. Along with partner Dave Stewart, they created mournful, soulful songs featuring Lennox’s icy, beautiful voice. After the 1990 breakup of the duo, Lennox launched a highly successful solo career. In 1992 she released Diva, a platinum-selling solo album that received three Grammy nominations. Upbeat on the surface but apprehensive underneath, "Walking on Broken Glass" and "Little Bird" updated the classic Eurythmics sound. Yet it is the brooding ballads such as "Why," "Cold" and "The Gift" that truly stand out.

Lennox's supple vocals prove that she is among the finest white soul singers of our time. Her 2007 album, Songs of Mass Destruction, captures the range of her styles, from the rhythmically charged pop of her Eurythmics days to the haunted, longing ballads of her solo career.

Aretha Franklin will be performing material from her vast catalog of music and will be inviting these and other special guests onstage for never-before-seen collaborations. Check back soon to see who else she'll be performing with.