The 60-year-old singer took to the stage to honour the Respect singer, who tragically passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer last week aged 76, however many criticised Madonna for the content.
In the 10-minute address, Madonna recalled her early days as an aspiring singer and dancer, including one audition where she performed Franklin's iconic (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. Despite the heartfelt address, she angered fans after she was accused of focusing on herself rather than the 'Queen Of Soul'.
Angry viewers felt Madonna spent more time talking about herself than Aretha, with Twitter swarmed with messages from fans who were unhappy with the tribute's content.
Alicia Garza, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, penned: 'They just whited Aretha and she ain't even cold yet...I hope she sends a thunderbolt to strike this blasphemy down... Whiteness has NO SHAME...
'Whoever at the #VMAs let Madonna get on stage and give a tribute to @ArethaFranklin or whatever that was really should be out of a job right about...now.'
The singer's speech focused widely on anecdotes from her own life - to the point that the audience clapped and cheered during one of the rare moments that the Think songstress' name was mentioned.
Madonna's Aretha tribute in full
'Aretha Louise Franklin changed the course of my life. I left Detroit when I was 18. Thirty-five dollars in my pocket. My dream was to make it as a professional dancer. After years of struggling and being broke, I decided to go to audition for musical theater; I heard the pay was better. I had no training or dreams ever, ever becoming a singer, but I went for it. I got cut and rejected from every audition. Not tall enough. Not blends-in enough...
'Not pretty enough, not enough, enough. Then, one day, a French disco sensation was looking for backup singers and dancers for a world tour. I thought, why not? I could go back to getting robbed, held at gunpoint and being mistaken for a prostitute in my third-floor walkup that was a crack house. I am a rebel, hard. So I set up for the audition. Two large French record producers sat in the empty theater, daring me to be amazing. The dance audition went well...
'They asked if I had sheet music and a song prepared. I panicked. I overlooked this important part of the process. I had to think fast. My next meal was on the line. Fortunately, one of my favorite albums was Lady Soul by Aretha Franklin. I blurted out. “You make me feel… you make me feel like an actual woman.” Two French guys shouted at me. “You know, by Aretha Franklin.” They looked over at the pianist. [I said] “I don’t need sheet music, I know every word. I know the song...
'I will sing it a cappella.” I could see they didn’t take me seriously. Why should they? Some skinny-ass while girl is going to come up here and belt out a song from one of the greatest soul singers ever, a cappella? I said, “Bitch, I’m Madonna.” No, I didn’t. Just kidding. I wasn’t “Madonna” yet. I don’t know who I was. I don’t know what came over me. I walked over and started. When I was finished, I was drenched in nerve sweat. You know what that nerve sweat?...
'They said, “We will call you one day, maybe soon.” Weeks went by. No phone call. Finally, the phone rang. It was one of the producers: “We don’t think you are right for this job.” “Why are you calling me?” He replied, “We think you have great potential. You are rough around the edges. We want to bring you to Paris and make you a star...
'We will put you in a studio, with the great Giorgio Moroder.” I had no idea who that was, but I wanted to live in Paris and I wanted to eat some food. So, that was the beginning of my journey as a singer. I left for Paris, but I came back a few months because I had not earned the life I was living. It felt wrong. They were good people. I wanted to write my own songs and be a musician, not a puppet. I needed to go home and learn guitar. That is what I did. And the rest is history...
'So, you are probably all wondering why I am telling you this story. There is a reason, because none of this would have happened, could have happened, without our lady of soul. She led me to where I am today. And I know she influenced so many people in this house tonight. In this room tonight. And I want to thank you, Aretha, for empowering all of us. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Long live the queen.'
MailOnline
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