Way before Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, and other artists came around, many fans considered Aretha Franklin one of the OG divas. The musician was dubbed the Queen of Soul throughout her career, and it's only fitting for her as she never failed to deliver emotional performances when she was still alive.
As fans continue to remember her legacy as an artist, her former personal photographer revealed something about the singer that many weren't surprised to hear about.
Celebrity photographer Matthew Jordan Smith recently spoke with Page Six about the moment he first collaborated with Franklin in 2005.
He remembered when he played a playlist on his iPod during the photoshoot and one of the songs included Mariah Carey.
Based on Franklin's reaction, as detailed by the photographer, it's safe to say that she didn't feel it.
Aretha Franklin Only Wanted to Hear Her Songs During Photoshoots
"[Franklin] looked like she wasn't into it, so I asked her, who was her favorite new artist, and she said, 'Me!'" Smith recalled.
The photographer was initially confused, so he asked for the second time to emphasize the word "we," to which Franklin replied that it was still herself.
Although the legendary soul singer didn't ask him to change the songs during the photo shoot, he later added her tracks to play.
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He then created a separate playlist of Franklin containing only her songs, which he titled "Aretha Cool."
"It was like a light bulb went off... She was lost in her own world and then began to sing... I haven't seen anybody act like that to hearing their own music," he added.
Aretha Franklin Photo Book
The famed photographer released an art photo book titled after his playlist, "Aretha Cool." In the book, he recalled some of his memories with the singer.
One moment during a photoshoot, one of his favorite songs started playing in the background, and Franklin began to sing.
Smith was so moved by the moment, so he also sang along. However, Franklin stopped and looked at him to say, "Jordan, baby, don't sing."
The photographer and Franklin worked together for many years until she passed away in 2018.
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