It's pretty amazing when you think about it. I was going out the door and I got a text saying, 'Mary, I'm sorry, I have to cancel but I'll see you again.' And I never saw her again.Įven failing health she wanted to learn, you know. And then probably the most touching thing was she called me three and a half weeks ago and wanted to work on a German aria.

I'll never forget it because it was like on a dime. Immediately the room was aflame with her fire and. Everyone in their tuxedos and in their gowns and they were dancing to her. She was the last one and she came out and it completely went from staid to 'let's party.' In fact she came out and said, 'Are you ready to party? It's such a memory because I thought 'Wow,' and everybody - I mean everybody - all the staid, whomever, people got up.

MCL: I would travel with her, and she received an award at the Smithsonian Institute of Arts in Washington, D.C., and there were a lot of incredible recipients and it was a very elegant, sort of staid event. GD: Is there one memory that really stands out for you as you look back at Aretha Franklin and her life and her legacy? Even now it's astounding to me that I had such an incredible opportunity and I'd like to think a really beautiful friendship.Īretha Franklin died Thursday after from complications of pancreatic cancer. I was always so grateful and very humbled to have any relationship with her. So she called and said, 'Mary, I think we have to add some songs.' And I said, 'Yes let's expand your repertoire.' And we did. I thought that would be it, but then Aretha had requests after the Grammy awards all over to sing with orchestras. I would sing a couple of measures, she'd repeat it. MCL: The truth is she was like a sponge and she was extraordinary. Pretty formal at the beginning and at the end of that first hour I candidly feel we both felt very comfortable with each other. When I got the call I didn't have time, really, to be thinking, 'Oh my god, I have to work with Aretha Franklin.' So it was great. No one teaches Aretha Franklin how to sing.' What I did was coach her on her operatic repertoire. MCL: What's funny is when people say, 'Oh, you're Aretha's teacher,' I go, 'Oh no. What's it like to be the teacher of one of the greatest singers on the planet? GD: I have to say it's so funny to hear you spent time with her as her opera vocal coach. Mary Callaghan Lynch has coached Aretha Franklin on operatic repertoire since 1998.

Aretha franklin lyric opera house