The Quiz: Aretha Franklin recorded “Respect” in 1967, but who wrote and recorded the song first?
Ray Charles
Sam Cooke
Dionne Warwick
Otis Redding
“Respect” was written and originally recorded by soul singer Otis Redding. It was released in 1965 as a single from his third album Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul. In 1967, fellow soul singer Aretha Franklin covered and rearranged “Respect,” resulting in even a bigger hit which became her signature song. The music in the two versions is significantly different, while a few changes in the lyrics resulted in different narratives around the theme. Otis Redding died tragically at 26, just as the Queen of Soul was turning his minor hit into a feminist anthem.
The correct answer to this quiz is Otis Redding.