Laval Hardy and Mary Jones

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Laval Hardy booked another show for Mary Jones as Aretha Franklin. He didn't want anyone to get a close-up look at her. No one really suspected a thing. In 1969, in the South, this would not be the place for a young African-American woman to be out on her own looking for help.

Mary Jones could sing just like Aretha Franklin. One night, a James Brown impersonator saw her perform at a Motown tribute show - and thought he could take her on tour and trick audiences into believing she was the real Queen of Soul. Jeff Maysh tells the story.

Learn more in Jeff Maysh’s piece for Smithsonian Magazine, “The Counterfeit Queen of Soul.”

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