A T-shirt shopping trip with rock singer James Bay

NEW YORK (AP) — Yes, British singer James Bay’s favorite music T-shirt is of the Rolling Stones, but the one he wishes he had? Aretha Franklin.

“Somebody asked the other day, ‘What’s your greatest influence of all-time?’ … I can’t see how it’s not Aretha,” Bay said while shopping at a vintage store with hundreds of music T-shirts plastered around the walls. “Since I was 16, I religiously listened to Aretha Franklin. And I feel (expletive) inspired by what she does.”

Instead of calling her the Queen of Soul, the rocker calls the late icon “the Queen of Music.”

“People talk about greatest singers of all-time (and) people talk about Frank Sinatra (and) Frank Sinatra’s phenomenal, but honestly, how does he hold a flame to Aretha?”

Unfortunately at Metropolis Vintage in New York City, there’s no Aretha in stock — “just can’t find a vintage Aretha T-shirt,” the owner said — though Bay walks away with a shirt featuring the cover of the Beatles’ “Let It Be” and a bright red Keith Haring tee

As he sifts through the collection, he notes other influences as well. Seeing Kurt Cobain’s face on a black tee, he says: “Of all the artists that have iconic looks, his is like, ‘I bleached my hair.’ He’s so cool.” R&B star Maxwell is called “amazing!” and seeing Janet Jackson reminds him that a good friend is going to the pop star’s new residency in Las Vegas this week.

Several T-shirts featuring the Stones hits home with the 28-year-old singer: “Last summer we opened for the Stones. And Ronnie’s been onstage with us.”

“Keith is cool. We’ve hung with Keith a few times. He’s a good dude. He doesn’t say a lot, but he wants to hang. He’s brilliant,” Bay said.

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