RIAA Gold white matte album award for Aretha Franklin album Young, Gifted And Black. Released on Jan. 24, 1972, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA on April 19, 1972 for one million dollars worth sold.* Remember Queen Of Soul Aretha Franklin (1942-2018) with this rare award.
This album included a combination of Franklin-penned songs, such as "Day Dreaming" and "Rock Steady" and covers like the title cut, originally written and recorded by Nina Simone, the Elton John/Bernie Taupin-penned "Border Song (Holy Moses)" and the Beatles' "The Long And Winding Road". The album itself peaked at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and #1 on the R&B Albums chart. It also won Franklin a Grammy Award in 1973 for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
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Includes MusicGoldmine.com Letter Of Authenticity
Item Highlights:
- RIAA Gold Album Award
- Presented to record distributor WEA Atlanta
- In VG condition
- Has been rebacked but internals are all original
- "White matte" awards (obviously so-named due to the white matte used) were made from from 1964-1974/early 1975
- RIAA white matte awards numbered only 5-25 plaques worldwide for any given single/album
- Award measures approx. 17" x 21"
- Beautiful and rare collector's item for any Aretha Franklin fan
- FREE insured shipping to continental U.S.
- International shipping available
Detailed Item Description: This RIAA Gold LP award was made in 1972, making it about 53 years old. The award is presented to WEA Atlanta (a Warner/Elektra/Atlantic record labels distributor).
The award is in Very Good condition, especially considering its age. There are a few mars and scratches on the frame, a couple of small areas of discoloration on the matte, and some minor mars on the record and presentation plate. The award has been rebacked after a repair to reposition the gold record disc which had become dislodged. A new original style wire hanger has been installed but all other components are original.
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Notes on the condition of all vintage RIAA awards like this one: Please do not buy this item if you want a brand new piece of memorabilia. These are historical artifacts from the year they were produced. As a result they may show signs of wear. Frankly, if you see a 50-year-old award purported to be in 100% perfect condition, it might be too good to be true. After all, an antique should have "good' wear. If not, you might want to question the piece.
As to where they came from, they could have been displayed in record label offices, recording studios, artist manager's offices, radio stations, private collector's homes and yes, of course, possibly the artist's or songwriter's home. Typically, we don't know all the places they may have been over the years other than what we've stated in the description.
Finally, a word on photos: Our photos are zoomable so you can get a very good look. Do let us know if you want photos of any other details on our pieces and we'll be happy to provide.
*RIAA sales data source: RIAA.com