In 1961, a 19-year-old Aretha Franklin took the stage at the old Memorial Coliseum as the opening act for Sam Cooke.
Even then, according to a Journal story about the concert, Franklin commanded the Winston-Salem stage.
As she sang, Cooke stood backstage, peering through the curtain. At one point, he whispered: “That’s my girl. She’s just a kid, but she’s got it. She’s going to be great.”
Cooke added: “What’s she got that makes her great? Soul, man. She sings with soul, plenty of it. Her future is limitless.”..