(CBS News) In 1967, "Lady Soul" arrived. In two years she scored 9 top ten hits - the biggest, "Respect," a song written by Otis Redding."And 'R-E-S-P-E-C-T,' which Otis did not sing."
"No, he didn't say that. I thought I should spell it out."
In a summer of racial unrest, it became a civil rights anthem. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. would present her an award in front of 12,000 people in Detroit.
"They declared it Aretha Franklin Day," Mason said.
"Yeah, they did. But when Dr. King walked on the stage, the rafters were shaking."
Aretha wrote her own songs, too, like "Think," and "Day Dreaming," which was inspired by Dennis Edwards, the lead singer of the Temptations:
"I was daydreaming about him, yes," Aretha said.
"I think he said he made a mistake in not marrying you?" Mason asked.
"Yeah, I said, 'You sure did! You sure did!' Too late now buddy. Too late."
"You would have married him?"
"I would've married Dennis in a heartbeat," she said.
"But from what I read, he said he was kind of intimidated by the whole Aretha aura."
"Really?"
"Do you think you're intimidating?" Mason asked.
"I could be. I could be. I've seen that a little bit with some men. But the real men step up to the plate."
But then the wall goes up again ...
"How's your love life these days?" Mason asked.
"My love life is all right," she replied. "It's okay."
"That's all you're going to say?" Mason asked.
"Yes, it's okay."
Twice divorced and mother to two songs, Aretha also shies away from some of the sorrow in her family life. Her mother, who moved away when she was six, died 4 years later.
In her autobiography, Aretha wrote: "I cannot describe the pain."
In 1979 her father was shot during a burglary in their Detroit home. He lapsed into a coma and died 5 years later. Aretha asked the city to dedicate a local park to him.
Aretha wanted us to see Lasalle Park, dedicated to the memory. But as we approached the park she was overcome by emotion.
It took a minute for her to compose herself:
"It's a beautiful park," she said. "I'm glad they dedicated it to him."
Rev. Franklin envisioned a great career for his talented daughter. But likely even he did not imagine she would live to perform at the inauguration of the first African American president:
"That was history," she said. "And I'm thankful that I was a part of that."
Aretha made news another way that day: She got a lot of attention for her hat.
"Yes. That hat took on a life of its own," she said.
She;s donating it to the Obama Library.
"And so I'll go down in history with him!"
Now, after a half-century of recording, Aretha Franklin has just released her 38th studio album. The Queen of Soul is back to remind us that while she may have given up her hat, she has not surrendered her crown.
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