In the 1960s, Mary Jane Jones modeled herself after Aretha Franklin, but she had the emotion and range of an original soul singer. After a crooked James Brown impersonator forced her to perform as Franklin, she got famous from her own talent, until she gave up show bizness to raise her sons.
The Counterfeit Queen of Soul
Jeff Maysh | Smithsonian | July 1, 2018 | 4,499 words