Best of 2023: The Counterfeit Queen of Soul
<p>This week we’re revisiting our favourite episodes of 2023, and Rebecca has chosen to replay our episode from 15th February, the day in 1969 when Mary Jane Jones - known professionally as Vickie Jones - was arrested on fraud charges after successfully impersonating soul legend Aretha Franklin during multiple sold-out shows across Florida.</p><br><p>When her case ended up before a judge, Jones maintained her innocence, insisting that she had been press-ganged into the deception by conman, kidnapper and semi-professional James Brown impersonator, Lavelle Hardy.&nbsp;</p><p>In this episode, The Retrospectors look at the surprising similarities between the lives of Jones and Franklin; discuss why audiences in the 1960s couldn’t tell real performers from fake ones; and ponder whether Jones deserves a little more R.E.S.P.E.C.T…&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>We’ll be back with new episodes from January 1st. In the meantime, to support the show and unlock over 100 bonus bits, join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴at <a href="https://patreon.com/Retrospectors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://patreon.com/Retrospectors</a>.</p><p><strong>Further Reading:</strong></p><p>• ‘An Aretha Franklin Impersonator Fooled Fans (Then Became A Star)’ (Cracked, 2022): <a href="https://www.cracked.com/article_34398_an-aretha-franklin-impersonator-fooled-fans-then-became-a-star.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cracked.com/article_34398_an-aretha-franklin-impersonator-fooled-fans-then-became-a-star.html</a></p><p>• ‘The Counterfeit Queen of Soul’ (Smithsonian magazine, 2018):&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/counterfeit-queen-soul-180969340/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/counterfeit-queen-soul-180969340/</a>&nbsp;</p><ul><li>‘Imposter! How Vickie Jones fooled Aretha Franklin fans… until #otd in 1969’ (The Retrospectors, 2023): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3hJb8Idy91I" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3hJb8Idy91I</a></li></ul><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Today In History with The Retrospectors
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Show Notes
This week we’re revisiting our favourite episodes of 2023, and Rebecca has chosen to replay our episode from 15th February, the day in 1969 when Mary Jane Jones - known professionally as Vickie Jones - was arrested on fraud charges after successfully impersonating soul legend Aretha Franklin during multiple sold-out shows across Florida.
When her case ended up before a judge, Jones maintained her innocence, insisting that she had been press-ganged into the deception by conman, kidnapper and semi-professional James Brown impersonator, Lavelle Hardy.
In this episode, The Retrospectors look at the surprising similarities between the lives of Jones and Franklin; discuss why audiences in the 1960s couldn’t tell real performers from fake ones; and ponder whether Jones deserves a little more R.E.S.P.E.C.T…
We’ll be back with new episodes from January 1st. In the meantime, to support the show and unlock over 100 bonus bits, join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴at https://patreon.com/Retrospectors.
Further Reading:
• ‘An Aretha Franklin Impersonator Fooled Fans (Then Became A Star)’ (Cracked, 2022): https://www.cracked.com/article_34398_an-aretha-franklin-impersonator-fooled-fans-then-became-a-star.html
• ‘The Counterfeit Queen of Soul’ (Smithsonian magazine, 2018):
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/counterfeit-queen-soul-180969340/
- ‘Imposter! How Vickie Jones fooled Aretha Franklin fans… until #otd in 1969’ (The Retrospectors, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3hJb8Idy91I
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