Raheem DeVaughn Shares A Great Aretha Franklin Story
April 5, 2026·9 min
The episode begins with Questlove asking Raheem DeVaughn about his upcoming 'Say Yes Tour' with Flowetry, where DeVaughn expresses excitement and mentions doing meet-and-greets. The conversation shifts to DeVaughn's vocal care routine, where he explains he doesn't smoke or drink, prioritizes sleep, and practices vocal rest, avoiding even whispering. He details a specific hot drink remedy with boiling water, lemon, cayenne pepper, manuka honey, turmeric, ginger, and hibiscus. Questlove then shares a story from his time at The Tonight Show, where Aretha Franklin insisted on natural air conditioning, causing the set to reach 85 degrees and leading to humorous discomfort among the crew. DeVaughn recounts being invited to perform for Aretha Franklin's birthday in Detroit, expecting a large event but finding an intimate gathering of about 50 people. After performing his song 'Woman', Franklin called him over, asked if he wrote the song, and requested he write her a similar one. DeVaughn returned to DC, collaborated with producer Chucky Thompson, and wrote 'Queen' for Franklin, though she never recorded it due to illness. He later discovered Franklin performed 'Woman' live at the Essence Music Festival, which moved him. The episode wraps with mutual appreciation and shoutouts to Detroit. The format is a casual one-on-one interview, blending personal anecdotes with insights into the music industry and artist rituals.
