Life on the Mississippi book review: Erma Franklin

I was amazed and delighted that we got someone as prestigious and legendary as Erma Franklin to participate in The Strange World Of Northern Soul, performing her much rarer version of this monster Jackie Wilson Northern Soul crossover classic, thanks, mainly, to Pat Lewis being her close friend. And gutted then when she died in 2002, so full of life and so articulate and talented. What a terrible waste. Erma was born in Shelby, Mississippi in 1939. When she was six, they moved to Detroit, where her father became the minister of New Bethel Baptist Church. After High School, Erma toured the country for two years in her father's gospel group. Continuing with her studies, Erma met up with a young Berry Gordy, who as we know today would form the legendary Motown label. Erma recalled how they went to Chicago to do some things with Chess "and we hardly had two bits between us." At Chess, they met up with producer Billy Davis but nothing came of it except being an inspiration for a huge hit later for Etta James called "All I Could Do Was Cry." Erma was all set to join Motown and would have recorded many of the early songs later sung by Marv Johnson and Mary Wells but, Rev. Franklin prevented it. "I couldn't very well argue with my father when he said it was a choice between leaving home and singing or staying at home and studying - so I decided to stay at home and study!" During this time younger sister Aretha was signed to a recording contract from Columbia records. Fortunately ...