Aretha Franklin by @therealpeterlindbergh for @harpersbazaarus Aretha had written a cookbook that was about to be published and Magggie Buckley who booked celebrities for the magazine wanted us to photograph her. Peter Lindbergh and I were assigned the story. The problem for us was how to photograph her. We both thought why not get a piano and have her sit at it. Aretha came to the set and went in to hair and makeup. @orlandopita had prepared two wigs for her which were quite large and exaggerated in our book. She took one look and told him to make them bigger- "I'm a big girl" she told him. When she was dressed she came and sat at the piano facing Peter not the keys. Then she turned to the keys and started to play. She sang ballads so that her face would be more composed and would not have to open her mouth too wide for the photo. @tonnegood was there and Aretha started singing Ebb Tide, one of Tonne's favorite songs. I turned and saw tears streaming down Tonne's face. Aretha then sang Danny Boy. The guard we had for the diamond jewelry was a big, strapping guy, there to prevent the stealing of the millions of dollars of jewelry we had for the shoot. One of his parent's was Irish, and looked at him, he was openly weeping. Aretha gave us what amounted to a private concert, singing the entire time Peter was photographing her. We were all in tears by the time the first shot was over. I had only ever heard her on the radio or on the records I owned by her. To hear her live, to experience that voice was like listening to someone praying through song to God. Although the songs were all love ballads, she sang to the higher love not to another human. It was more amazing than I could ever describe. My heart goes out to her family for their loss and to all of us who loved her for filling our lives with her music. Makeup @samfinebeauty #Arethafranklin #queenofsoul