MUSICAL TRIBUTE

Never-Before-Heard Aretha Franklin Solo of ‘Never Gonna Break My Faith’ Released for Junteenth Commemoration

The solo rendition of “Never Gonna Break My Faith” is released on June 19 to commemorate the day in 1865 that enslaved Black people were freed in the U.S.

Sony’s RCA Records and Legacy Recording has released a never-before-heard solo version of Aretha Franklin’s collaboration with Mary J. Blige about faith and race. The song, called “Never Gonna Break My Faith” has arrived on Juneteenth to commemorate the day in 1865 when enslaved Black people were freed in the U.S. The song’s lyrics include the line “You can lie to a child with a smiling face/Tell me that color ain’t about a race.” The original collaboration was featured in the film Bobby about U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination and won best gospel performance at the 50th Grammy Awards in 2008. Franklin died in 2018 at the age of 76.