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JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: So many songs that are hers forever. Celebrities, family, friends are all paying tribute to the queen of soul, Aretha Franklin, dead today at the age of 76. These are live pictures from her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The legendary Apollo Theater today changing its sign to honor Aretha Franklin, but the picture they tweeted was a file picture from the 1970s. Franklin's star on the Walk of Fame will soon have a memorial wreath. Much more being left there by fans of hers. Lionel Richie wrote" "Her voice, her presence, her style, no one did it better. Truly the queen of soul. I will miss you." Paul McCartney: "Let's all take a moment to give thanks for the beautiful life of Aretha Franklin, the queen of our souls, who inspired us all for many years. She will be missed, but the memory of her greatness as a musician and a fine human being will live with us forever." Then there was Elton John: "The loss of Aretha Franklin is a blow for everybody who loves real music, music from the heart, the soul, and the church. Her voice was unique. Her piano playing underrated. She was one of my favorite pianists." Joining us now, someone who knew just what a talent she was, Ralphe Armstrong, Aretha Franklin's bass player for decades. Ralphe, thank you so much for taking the time with us today.</s>RALPHE ARMSTRONG, BASS PLAYER FOR ARETHA FRANKLIN (via telephone): Thank you for calling.</s>SCIUTTO: Tell us how you, how the people who knew her best, who spent so much time with her, tell us how you're doing now.</s>ARMSTRONG: Well, I'm a little -- right now, but I know she's in the hands of god because she was truly a great person, an intellectual, and a great American.</s>SCIUTTO: Tell us a story about her, the time you spent with her.</s>ARMSTRONG: Oh, let me tell you something. If you didn't play for Aretha, she will let you know it. She said, you got to give 100 percent. If you didn't get it, the queen beheads you.</s>SCIUTTO: No one would want to face that.</s>ARMSTRONG: Right. But the thing about her that made her special and made her a queen, and a lot of singers don't understand this, she knew music. She knew what key she was singing in. She knew what chord you were playing. She could tell you what to play. She was an intellectual. She knew about different topics, opera, musical terminology. She was a perfectionist, and she worked very hard so nurture her craft, and she truly deserved the title of being the queen of soul.</s>SCIUTTO: You know, I've seen it written many times that she couldn't read music, that she was a true natural. You're saying, of course, and we heard in her songs that didn't mean much.</s>ARMSTRONG: Right, but she could read a little bit. She was not ill literal. No, she could read some.</s>ARMSTRONG: I don't know where they got that from.</s>SCIUTTO: Self-trained. Was she aware of the influence --</s>ARMSTRONG: She could read music, yes. I'm telling you.</s>SCIUTTO: I'll believe you. I'll believe you over the obituaries, trust me.</s>ARMSTRONG: OK.</s>SCIUTTO: You spent a little time with her. Was she aware of the influence she had --</s>ARMSTRONG: A lot of time with her.</s>SCIUTTO: Was she aware of the influence she had beyond music, as a voice for civil rights, as a voice for feminism?</s>ARMSTRONG: Yes, yes, she did. One thing that she did, which a lot of people don't know, she always paid into pensions for musicians. She always paid union wages. She paid above union wages. She was strong for working people.</s>SCIUTTO: And I know that's important as well because through her life, she didn't have consistent financial success. She was a star, of course, but she was not. She had her own issues at times.</s>ARMSTRONG: Yes, but you know, she worked around that. But she was a very good businesswoman. She worked hard. She studied the business. She took care of business. She was excellent and was very generous to me. There were times when I was struggling, she paid me thousands of extra dollars.</s>SCIUTTO: There are too many songs, and I know you've been playing with her since 1987. So many songs you performed with her. Is there one that was your favorite to perform with her?</s>ARMSTRONG: Yes. The one I recorded, "You Are My Joy." The other one was "Respect."</s>SCIUTTO: Yes.</s>ARMSTRONG: And she deserved that.</s>SCIUTTO: There's "Respect" right there. I love the idea that "Respect" was originally recorded as a song from a man singing to a woman, and she turned it around from a woman singing to a man.</s>ARMSTRONG: That's right. That's right. Now you got that one right. Yes, sir.</s>SCIUTTO: Ralphe --</s>ARMSTRONG: But the thing about Aretha, she was a great person. She was a people person in treating people. If you did her right, she did you wonderful. I loved her.</s>SCIUTTO: Ralphe Armstrong, thanks for sharing your memories.</s>ARMSTRONG: Thank you. And keep up the good work with CNN. Thank you so much. Bless you guys.</s>SCIUTTO: You take care of yourself. There will be much more on Aretha's life and legacy. Plus, an explosive response from the former CIA director whose security clearance the president revoked. Why John Brennan says the notion that there's no Russian collusion is, quote, "hogwash."