Diva Week Starts Now!
Celebrating the 7 Aries Divas Born This Week
Welcome to the greatest week of the calendar year: Diva Week. This week (though this year as is not uncommon, the days don’t fall in a calendar week and it’s technically an 8-day stretch) marks the births of seven of music’s most significant divas, and, as Aretha said to Mariah, “typical Aries!” They are: Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Mariah Carey, Stephanie Mills, Céline Dion, AND Lady Gaga. Oh, and this year, Beyoncé is dropping a new album in the middle of all these birthdays.
If you don’t know who ALL of these ladies are… you’re fucking up (can I say that here? I guess so, and it’s not the most inflammatory thing in here, so, hey, if you can’t stand the heat…). If you are familiar with all of these legendary ladies, here’s a chance to celebrate them through my lens. I’ve been spoiled enough to have seen each of them in concert at least once, so instead of giving you a whole bio schtick on each, here are a few words of the experience of seeing each in concert, some receipts to back it up, and a playlist of favorites from each (plus some YouTube links where applicable). All the photos/videos were taken by yours truly. 😁
Stephanie Mills- March 22
Weeks before the world locked down in the wake of the pandemic, it was business as usual at NJPAC in Newark in late January 2020. Stephanie Mills tore the roof off the place, opening with her classic “Never Knew Love Like This Before,” and working the crowd into a frenzy during the standout number from ‘The Wiz,’ “Home,” which she first sang when she originated the role of Dorothy in the Broadway production in 1974.
I got a chance to meet Stephanie after the show, and let me tell you, it was beautiful. She was so sweet and warm to both my dad and I, and kept looking at me like “have we met before? You seem so familiar.” We even had a moment discussing Aretha, to whom she paid tribute during the show. I showed her my Aretha tattoo, and she asked if she could touch it. It was wild and wonderful and unforgettable.
For one reason or another, much of Stephanie’s catalog is not available to stream/download, but there’s a good chunk of music there that is must-hear. These are some of my favorites:
Chaka Khan- March 23
This was a long time coming. I’d seen Chaka at VH1 Divas: Unsilent Night in 2016 prior to this November 2021 show but it was short and plagued by issues, so seeing a full Chaka show was a trip. Once again, this was at NJPAC (non-sponsored plug for this venue btw, which manages to hook all the legends at prices that are usually much more reasonable than an NYC show). First of all, Chaka was sporting this new svelte figure, tied together with a fly Gucci belt, and that signature mop that you could get lost in and tell all your secrets to. Though she omitted “Through The Fire” from her setlist because she’s tired of singing it (and she has that right!) she delivered a helluva set.
Most of Chaka’s music is available to stream, except 1998’s Come 2 My House, a stellar body of work which was co-produced by Prince. The album was supposed to make its digital debut in July 2023 but conspicuously never materialized. If you want a full, comprehensive education on Come 2 My House, my friend Mark Chappelle gave a fantastic history last year. Here are a few of my Chaka favorites:
Here’s a favorite from Chaka’s still-not-streaming Prince-produced album, “Pop My Clutch,” featuring Queen Latifah:
Aretha Franklin- March 25
Where do I even begin with Aretha? Like Mariah Carey once said, Aretha is my “high bar and North Star,” and most of you already know that. I saw Aretha live in concert a dozen times, and once at a talk at the 92 Street Y. The show that I find myself returning to most often was a March 2015 show at (you guessed it), NJPAC. We were in about the third row, and Aretha was on FIRE. The highlights of that night were one of the final performances of one of my favorites, “Oh Me Oh My (I’m A Fool For You Baby)” and a scorching rendition of “I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Loved You).
Because one is never enough, here’s a brilliant performance of “A Brand New Me” from her June 2016 NJPAC show, the last full show I saw her deliver, and the night that I got to speak to her for a minute. Her piano solo mid-way through is stunning.
And finally, the quality is low but the moment is a high: this is from my very first concert, which was an Aretha concert, in June 2000 at Avery Fisher Hall (now David Geffen Hall) at Lincoln Center. This audio is not mine, but I am forever grateful to have it. This is the only known instance of Aretha covering this song:
Trying to put this Aretha playlist together was no easy task, because how do I even do that for Aretha? But this is what I came up with, plus a few bonuses after that aren’t streaming:
Diana Ross- March 26
Ms. Ross, Ms. Ross. The Supreme Diana Ross has continued to tour for the last decade with no signs of slowing down or making significant changes to her setlist. I saw her twice, first at NJPAC in 2013 and then at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in 2014. Today, her setlist is largely the same as it was then (for both shows), which is a bit of a disappointment, but I’m seeing her again in May and seriously can’t wait because it’s been a decade and she’s still at it without missing a step. A consummate icon. Between her work leading The Supremes and her solo work, Diana’s catalog is deep and rich, and she continues to be a consummate performer. Both times I saw her were fantastic, and not to put the spotlight on another diva, but the first time I saw her, she closed out the show by bringing out Gloria Gaynor for “I Will Survive.” My camerawork isn’t the best, but ask yourself, would yours be in the same situation?
A little more Diana for your ears:
Mariah Carey- March 27
‘Ms. 19 #1 Songs On The Hot 100’ herself (more than any other solo artist). I’ve honestly lost count of how many times I’ve seen Mariah Carey live, it’s just that many. And I’m adding at least one to the list next month when I head out to Vegas. And while at this point the quantity of Christmas shows I’ve seen rival if not exceed the quantity of non-Christmas shows, I’m going to take this moment to go back to a 2017 show at Prudential Center in Newark, when she performed “Vision of Love.” I snuck into the front row for her set and had the time of my life. When she sings “carried the weight on my own,” our eyes were locked, me mouthing the lyrics to her as she sang them. Of course the camera goes all shaky because it was just me and Mariah in those two seconds.
Here are a few of my Mariah favorites that are mostly things the average listener probably hasn’t heard before:
I’m adding this one because it’s the last thing you’d expect to hear from Mariah: country. Her cover of this Kris Kristofferson song was recorded (but not used) for her 2008 film Tennessee.
Lady Gaga- March 28
It’s kind of wild when I think back to the first time I saw Gaga, which was all the way back in February 2011, in Atlantic City of all places. It was the first time she performed “Born This Way” in concert (she performed it for the first time at the Grammy Awards, less than a week before) The videos from that show are terrible, and my phone was locked away for the show I wish I could show you videos from, her Radio City show with Tony Bennett on his 95th birthday, August 3, 2021. That was Tony’s penultimate live performance (which was professionally filmed and can be found on Paramount +). So, instead, here’s a clip from her 2022 MetLife stop for the Chromatica Ball World Tour.
And in addition to a playlist, here’s my favorite Gaga song, which she never officially released (though in 2023 it was recorded, released, and desecrated by a vocally challenged TikTok person [can’t use the word ‘star’ for someone best known for having an account on one social media platform]).
Céline Dion- March 30
Seeing Céline Dion reappear at the Grammy Awards this year after combatting the debilitating Stiff Person’s Syndrome was overwhelming (though seeing the pinnacle of white mediocrity pay her dust was, well, what happens when you deify mediocrity- and yes, I’m talking about that vocally and rhythmically challenged Helman’s Mayonnaise: white, bland, and not for everybody!). She hasn’t sang in front of an audience since her March 8, 2020 concert at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. That happened to be my first Céline Dion concert. I got tickets for my sister for Christmas, and let me tell you we had us a time, sitting pretty in the 6th row. One of the most impactful moments came when she sang “The Prayer.”
One thing that drives me crazy about Céline’s catalog is that there are a whole crop of fantastic remixes that aren’t streaming, so I included just a few of those after the playlist (which does include a dance mix of “My Heart Will Go On” that’s a must-hear):
Give these Divas some live, listens, and conversation this week. They deserve it!