James Brown declared himself Soul Brother Number One but the community crowned Aretha the Queen of Soul with no lobbying needed. Thatartfully militant initiative sought to align poetic aims with revolutionary political sentiments, and Giovanni early on demonstrated that she was as dedicated to craftand lyricism asto heryoung gifted generation's politics, On Truth Is On Its Way, her warm, understated delivery contrasts remarkably with contemporaries like The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron but is no less provocative or penetrating. Aretha doesn't have to relive Billie Holiday's life doesn't have to relive Dinah Washington's death Giovanni testified to Aretha's artistic and political power, but also empathetically recognizes that there's a real human being inside the icon, prey to marital challenges, health issues, the encroachment of scandalfocused media, business pressures and the creative maintenance of her legacy - not to mention career momentum in a world full of hungry competitors.