GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, passed away Thursday morning at the age of 76, which now has fans scrambling to get their hands on memorabilia.
There’s high-demand at The Exclusive Company, which sells vintage vinyl records and cd’s from their location in downtown Green Bay.
Store manager Tom Smith explains that he’s seen this boom in interest with others in the past.
“In recent memory, the ones that had the longest lasting reverberations were David Bowie and Prince,” says Smith.
The passing of Franklin is bringing in individuals searching for her vinyl records, but what might be surprising is the age of these fans.
“I think we’ll sell a lot of Aretha Franklin vinyl to younger people,” says Smith.
He explains that the rebirth in vinyl record popularity has actually been fueled by individuals in their 20’s and early 30’s.
Franklin may have peaked in popularity decades ago, but her lasting impact is certainly reaching younger generations.
“Young people who are smart and know music and love music, they discover Aretha Franklin,” explains Smith.
The Exclusive Company in Green Bay and record shops across the country will be attempting to fill their shelves with as much merchandise from the Queen of Soul as possible in the next few weeks to meet this demand.
Franklin passed away Thursday morning at her home in Detroit at the age of 76.
