Aretha Franklin: The Great Performances (In-person)
Winter (1.5 - 3.5 hours) | Registration opens 11/23/2026 12:00 AM EDT
According to her biographer, Aretha Franklin is “one of the greatest talents in all American culture.” She deservedly earned the title “The Queen of Soul” after just a few short years of making recording history in the late 60s and early 70s. The first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Aretha paved the way for female singers to become mega-stars. In this class, we will learn about Aretha’s troubled childhood, her rise through gospel to soul to R&B, and her active support for the Civil Rights movement. But, first and foremost, Aretha was a legendary performer. We will watch the videos of her greatest live performances over the course of her 50-year career.
This course will be presented in a lecture format.
IMAGE: "Aretha Franklin" by Mel_DJ is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.
- There are no required books for this course.
John Peterman
John Peterman retired to the NH seacoast area after serving for 23 years as Head of an elementary school in Massachusetts. A nationally-known public speaker, John has led courses on mid-20th-century music and film at Osher at Dartmouth, UNH OLLI, the New London Barn Playhouse, AIL at Colby-Sawyer College, the New London Center for the Arts, and other nonprofit organizations.