Aretha Franklin won’t be walking down the aisle with her fiance Willie Wilkerson after all.

The Queen of Soul’s rep released a statement this morning revealing that the couple have called off their wedding.

“Will and I have decided we were moving a little too fast, and there were a number of things that had not been thought through thoroughly. There will be no wedding at this time. We will not comment on it any further because of the very personal and sensitive nature of it. We appreciate all of the many well wishes from friends.”

The wedding was being planned out for this summer and the couple were even considering tying the knot on a private yacht at Miami Beach

Hopefully things are still kosher between these two.

Aretha Franklin is engaged!

The Queen of Soul recently accepted a proposal from her longtime boyfriend Willie Wilkerson, reps for the singer confirmed Monday (Jan 2).

According to reports, the couple’s wedding is set for sometime this summer (either in June or July) in miami.

“Ms. Franklin is considering Donna Karan, Valentino and the queen of wedding dresses, Vera Wang, to design her gown,” the rep said.

This is not the first time the 69-year-old music legend has walked down the aisle either.

As Contact Music notes, Franklin has had a string of illustrious and not-so illustrious other halves as you might expect from someone who’s been in the public spotlight for as long as she has.

Her marriage to Wilkerson will be the third for Franklin, who in 1960s was married to her manager Ted White, having one son with him in 1964 named Ted White Jr, before marrying actor Glynn Turman, whom she divorced in 1984.

In a short statement to the Associated Press, the legendary singer joked, “No, I’m not pregnant,” just in case you were wondering.

The first family — President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle, the first daughters Sasha and Malia, as well as Grandma Marion –  attended the official unveiling of the brand new Dr. Martin Luther King  National Memorial in Washington, D.C. Sunday (Oct 16).

The dedication ceremony, held at the Washington Mall, was also attended by notable figures like Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Cicely Tyson, Diahann Carroll, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and others.

The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place on August 28th, but was postponed due to Hurricane Irene.

“Nearly 50 years after the March on Washington, our work — Dr. King’s work — is not yet complete,” President Barack Obama noted in his speach. “Progress was purchased through enduring the smack of billy clubs and the blast of fire hoses. It was bought with days in jail cells and nights of bomb threats.”

President Obama continued, “Let us not be trapped by what is. We can’t be discouraged by what is. We’ve got to keep pushing for what ought to be. [Dr. King] will stand for all time, among monuments to those who fathered this nation and those who defended it. A black preacher, no official rank or title, somehow gave voice to our deepest dreams and our most lasting ideas.[...]I know we will overcome. I know there are better days ahead. I know this because of the man towering over us.”

No one says “goodbye” like Oprah!

A bunch of the media mogul’s most famous friends, including Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, Jamie Foxx, Alicia Keys and many more packed into the United Center in Chicago for “Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular,” a star-studded send-off for the legendary talk show host.

Beyonce kicked off the festivities with a performance of her new single “Run the World (Girls),” which was followed by a poem recital from Maya Angelou (accompanied by Alicia Keys on the piano), a performance from music legend Aretha Franklin, an appearance from Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, a performance from Usher and more. The event also featured appearances form many other celebrities, including Tyler Perry, Tom Hanks, Maria Shriver (Arnold Schwarzenegger’s estranged wife), Simon Cowell, Patti Labelle, Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes and tons more.

“Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular” will air on television today (May 23) and tomorrow (May 24).

Check out tons of pics, as well as video footage of Beyonce’s performance, below:

Aretha Franklin took to the stage and performed at the Candie’s Foundation 2011 “Event to Prevent” Benefit Gala Tuesday night (May 3) at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.

Showing off her new slim look in a black gown, the Queen of Soul wowed guests at the gala with her legendary voice in her first performance since announcing her drastic weight loss.

Take a look at the pics below:

This past Thursday, a noticeably slimmer Aretha Franklin stopped by the set of ABC’s “The View” to promote her new album, A Woman Falling Out of Love.

The legendary Queen of Soul would not discuss the surgery she underwent five months ago, but did insist that she’s “feeling wonderful [and] fabulous.

The Queen went on to state that while her 85-pound weight loss is the by-product of the surgery she underwent, she emphasized that “it was not Bariatric surgery and that she’s adopted better eating habits since the procedure.

Check out Aretha dishing about her new slimmer look below:

She’s looking better than ever…..

On Friday (Mar 25), Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin thrilled guests at her lavish 69th birthday bash at the Park Lane Hotel in New York City on Friday by serenading them with a brief performance with former Temptations front-man Dennis Edwards.

Onlookers joined Edwards in wishing Ms. Franklin well with a personalized version of “My Girl.” It went a little something like this: “I guess … you’ll say … what can make me feel this way …. Aretha, Aretha, Aretha …” And then the woman of the hour took the mic.

Franklin launched into a mini duet with Edwards, performing a rousing rendition of “The Way We Were.” Edwards then led the party to sing Happy Birthday before Franklin cut her elaborate birthday cake. As one party-goer put it, “Detroit took over New York City this evening!”

Other celebs in the building to help Aretha celebrate her birthday were Tony Bennett, Smokey Robinson, Bette Midler, Clive Davis, Rev. Al Sharpton, Gayle King, Star Jones, Michael Imperioli and Wendy Williams.

Happy Birthday Ms. Franklin!

Aretha has scheduled a birthday bash tonight (Fri. Mar 25) at a luxury hotel with performances and special guests.

Her publicist, Tracey Jordan, said Franklin will start her evening at “Driving Miss Daisy,” the Broadway revival at the Golden Theatre starring Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones. She’ll see the show with a group of nine friends.

After the show, Franklin will proceed to her own party, which is sure to be a star studded event.

Don’t party too hard Ms. Franklin!

Franklin recently surprised many when she showed up on the scene a shocking 85 pounds lighter, which lead many to believe that the Queen of Soul had underwent gastric bypass surgery.

However, during her recent interview with Access Hollywood, the 68-year-old icon was asked point blank whether or not she had surgery to lose the weight, and a very adamant Franklin responded:

“Definitely not, and would not.”

We love you Aretha, but we don’t believe you. You need more people! You went from this to the picture on the left instantly it seems. “Diet and exercise” are great, but they don’t yield those kinds of results THAT quickly… But hey! Who are we to judge?

What do you think?

Aretha Franklin is opening up about her recent weight issues. The 68-year-old music legend recently sat down for an interview with Wendy Williams and disclosed details regarding her losing 85 pounds, her new diet and more.

She revealed that any food smothered in hot sauce is “off the menu now” and said that she will no longer eat pig feet and other unhealthy meals. The Queen of Soul also spoke on what exactly made her decide to switch up her diet.

“I’ve been looking at a lot of pictures, and I was saying [to myself], ‘You were entirely too fat for words,’ ” the 18-time Grammy winner said with a laugh. I was doing everything you could to lose that weight, and it’s hard,” she said. “It’s just really hard. [But] you can’t continue eating things that will hurt you eventually.”

Franklin just recovered from a surgery back in December, and although she did not specify what the problem was, she acknowledged her current health status, which she says is pretty good right now.

“A lot of things were said,” Franklin noted of the widespread rumors about her health (most pervasive: that she was battling pancreatic cancer). “I left that behind,” she added. “And I couldn’t be feeling any better than I’m feeling right now.”

Sure is good to see the Queen of Soul back on her feet and feeling good!

Your thoughts?

After letting it be known that she boycotted the 2011 Grammys because she wasn’t asked to perform in the Aretha Franklin tribute, R&B songbird Fantasia finally got a reaction from the Queen of Soul herself.

Aretha sent the following message to USA Today:

“I was sorry to hear that Fantasia was upset because she did not get the opportunity to participate in my Grammy Tribute this year. I recall that in the past, Fantasia participated in both my MusicCares Person of the Year Tribute and my United Negro College Fund Tribute. Fantasia is still young in the business and although we all love and appreciate her she must understand that in this business of show business she will not always get to participate in everything she would like participate in. I’m sure it was not an intentional omission. I will see Fantasia over the summer here in Detroit.”

Ms. Aretha Franklin

Source

Welp! Guess she told her…

What are your thoughts?

Fantasia Barrino was noticeably absent from this year’s Grammy Awards. Her reasoning? Because Grammy organizers neglected to invite her to participate in the Aretha Franklin tribute!

The R&B artist called in to BET’s 106 & Park Monday (Feb 14) and gave an explanation on why she chose to stay home instead of attending the biggest night in music.

“They were honoring someone who is my idol, Aretha Franklin, and there is no way I could have sat there and not got the happy feet and wanting to jump on the mic because she is my favorite, so I felt like, you know, at the end of the day I should have been on that stage, so, I kind of did my own little thing last night.”

The “American Idol” winner ended up winning a trophy for “Best Female Vocal Performance,” but obviously wasn’t there to pick up her first Grammy. Still, Fantasia says she was ecstatic to finally win a Grammy Award after 11 nominations.

“Actually I scared my daughter because I just bust out and started crying, and she thought something was wrong with me. You know it’s been a long time coming.”

Pop diva Christina Aguilera, R&B singer Jennifer Hudson and gospel performer Yolanda Adams were among the ladies who saluted an absent Aretha Franklin at the Grammys.

We’re not ones to judge … but we think it’s a little “petty” for Fantasia to skip out on the Grammys just because they didn’t invite her to perform in a tribute to Aretha Franklin, which is something she’s already done before.

Your thoughts?

Singers Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera, Yolanda Adams, Florence Welch (from Florence & the Machine) and Martina McBride opened up the 2011 Grammy Awards with a touching tribute to legendary R&B singer Aretha Franklin.

The ladies performed renditions of a few of Queen of Soul’s songs, including “Natural Woman,” “Ain’t No Way,” “Until YOu Come Back to Me,” “Think,” “Respect” and “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves.”

Though Ms. Franklin couldn’t make it to the show, she did appear in a pre-recorded segment from her home in Detroit, MI where she thanked the performers and wished everyone good luck.

Watch the performances from the Aretha Franklin tribute below!!

Aretha Franklin is putting rumors suggesting that she is battling cancer to rest.

The R&B music legend sat down with Access Hollywood recently for an interview where she followed up with a few (still vague) details regarding her health condition and ended speculation that she has pancreatic cancer.

More below:

Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson — a friend of the Queen of Soul for nearly 20 years – got the scoop from Aretha, herself, as the seasoned singer revealed why she chose to address recent health rumors.

“Well, there was just so many wild things out there and just so many things being said that weren’t true,” Aretha told Shaun in a phone interview on Thursday. “I just felt I needed to address it a little.” Aretha, 68, admits there was indeed a health scare, but she isn’t ready to divulge specifics just yet. I went through a number of procedures before I knew what was wrong,” Aretha told Shaun. “I know that you revealed to Jet magazine that you initially sought treatment because of a pain in your side,” Shaun replied. “Did the pain get so severe that you said, ‘Hey, there’s got to be something wrong here?’”

“Yeah, the pain was so hard it almost brought me to my knees,” Aretha revealed. “I was in Birmingham and then Boston and after that concert the same pain hit me again. I really just began to not feel good and I said, ‘Oh, no this is it, I can’t do any more concerts till I know what the problem is,’” she added. The “Freedom” chanteuse shot down rampart reports that she had been stricken with pancreatic cancer, saying, “I don’t know where ‘pancreatic cancer’ came from.

“I was sitting there reading the newspaper and it was saying someone in my family said that,” Aretha continued. “No one in my family ever said that to anybody.” The beloved artist received an overwhelming outpouring of “Respect” from high-profile well-wishers during her recovery – including the Commander In Chief. “I got a wonderful and beautiful letter from the President,” Aretha told Shaun. “And nobody does it like him!”

Access is thrilled to report that Aretha is expected to continuing blessing us with her phenomenal voice and fashion-forward hats for the foreseeable future. “So, it’s safe to say to your fans that we will be seeing Aretha Franklin for many years to come, right?” Shaun asked Aretha. “That’s what my doctor said,” Aretha replied. “He said, ‘The surgery that you just had is going to add 15 to 20 more years to your life.’”

In addition to her positive health report, the singer has won yet another battle – her struggle with weight. “I’m down to a rockin’ [size] 16 – 18,” she excitedly told Shaun. “Oh, I’m comin’ with it, OK?!?” she laughed. “It’s getting better every day. I plan on keeping this weight that I have now — I’m so happy with it.”

Aretha is up for a Best R&B Grammy for her duet with Ronald Isley and while she’ll likely miss that party, she promises to resume her concert tour. “My concerts don’t start until May and then I’m going to reschedule Washington, Virginia and Kansas City,” she told Shaun. “Those are some of the places I had to cancel because of the procedure I had to have.”

Source

Glad to hear Aretha’s doing better and those rumors about her having pancreatic cancer were false!

Thoughts?

The intensely private Aretha Franklin is slowly opening up about her recent health scare.

In her third interview with JET Magazine since announcing that doctors ordered her to cancel all concerts through May because of her health, the Queen of Soul is still not revealing what is exactly is ailing her, but says that her medical problem has been “resolved.”

Hit the link below for the details…

She says: “I am not one to do a lot of talking about my personal health or business. Not too much, not too much. There are a lot of people who will talk about anything, as long as there is somebody listening. But I am not one of those people. That’s not Aretha.” And that’s why she says she’s not discussing the news reports and rumors that she is battling pancreatic cancer. “I am not going to even deal with that,” she states. “I don’t have to talk about my health with anybody other than my doctors. The problem has been resolved.”

The soul icon encourages people to stay on top of their health. “If there is anything happening with you that is uncommon and something that you know should not be happening, go to your doctor. Be determined to find out what is going on.” She reveals that she went to a series of doctors who ran tests before they discovered what was wrong. She recalls saying to herself, “ ‘I know there is a problem, but these tests are showing nothing.’”

She recalls having “a very hard pain in my side” during a concert in Toronto, Canada last year. “I had a colonoscopy and it showed nothing was wrong. I associated the pain in my side with the colonoscopy that I had within a day or two before. I got up at 2 o’clock in the morning and called the doctor who did the colonoscopy and told him what was happening. He said, ‘Miss Franklin, whatever it is, it is not from the colonoscopy. You need to come home and have a CAT-scan.’ Thank God he said that because that unfolded everything, what the problem was and everything.”

She reiterates why she talked to JET, “I know my fans are concerned. Let them know I am feeling great and coming along.” She sends out a message of gratitude for her fans worldwide. “I want to thank my fans and friends and supporters who have prayed for me and sent me beautiful cards and flowers. Please continue to respect my privacy as I continue to recover.”

Source: JET

Keep the Queen of Soul in your thoughts and prayers folks!!

Thoughts?

Our friends over at JET Magazine sat down with the Queen of Soul and asked her how she’s doing.

“I feel great. The doctors say I can do whatever I feel like I am up to do. Of course, that doesn’t mean any concerts or anything like that. But I can do things around the house, and today I am just piddling around the house.”

The legendary R&B singer, who has been advised by doctors to rest for about 8 weeks, didn’t specify what the surgery was for, but she did say that she will reveal the details soon.

She also talked about receiving tons of support and prayers from many celebs of all different varieties, including Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Patti Labelle, Smokey Robinson, Condoleeza Rice, Shirley Caesar, Vanessa Bell Armstrong and more.

Check out the interview below!

Franklin didn’t give specifics on surgery, but she promised JET that she would soon reveal what is ailing her. For now, she says she wants to follow her physicians’ request and just rest. “I am putting Aretha together first. We will put Ree Ree together first. This is Aretha time to do whatever it is that I need to do. But I will talk more later.”

The soul legend has received an outpouring of support from many people, including, she says, Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey, Tavis Smiley, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Patti LaBelle, Dionne Warwick, Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy, Condoleezza Rice, Shirley Caesar, Karen Clark Sheard, Dorinda Clark Cole and Vanessa Bell Armstrong.

The thoughtful singer said she doesn’t want to forget anyone who has supported her. “There were so many people. I might not remember everyone’s name right this moment, but please, I want them know I appreciate their prayers.”

She said she particularly appreciates the sister friends who have rallied around her, especially the gospel performers. “They know that I am a lot more than the girl in the pink Cadillac on the Freeway of Love who also sings about Respect,” referencing some of her catalog. They know I am a praying woman. They pray without ceasing for me. I went through on His Word. I ‘sho nuff’ know the Word,” she said.

Franklin said she appreciates “the great sisterhood” that has reached out to her. “Sisterhood is so important. It really means a lot because it is solid. The sisters came together over me. They can put it together and they can pull it together. They said, ‘What is it that you need? What needs to be done?’ Don’t think the sisters can’t handle it. We can handle it,” she declares. And we have to be reciprocal in that manner. People don’t know whose help they may need. People support you, you support them.”

She said she’s been relaxing by catching up on her reading, and after our phone interview she said her plans for the day included looking at the faxes she’s been receiving and then just taking it easy. “It is good to sit up, too. I also might make one or two business calls. Not too much, just a teeny bit.”

She also thanked her family friend Willie Wilkerson, her sons, her niece Sabrina and her cousin Brenda for standing by her side. “My family has been with me every step of the way. I couldn’t have done it without them, that’s for sure.”

In an earlier press statement, Franklin also acknowledged: “My family and friends who brought me home are taking great care of me. I also have a private nurse who visits on a daily basis. I’m hoping to be well enough to go and see Dreamgirls at the Fox Theater before it closes on Jan. 2.”

She told JET she has received the best gift for Christmas: her improved health. “God has given me the greatest gift already for the holidays. I am so grateful.” (Source)

Get well soon Ms. Franklin!

Your thoughts?

R&B music legend Aretha Franklin is currently battling cancer, as confirmed by the Queen of Soul‘s family in a statement released yesterday. Though her family didn’t reveal what type of cancer she is battling, it’s being widely reported that Franklin was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and the emergency surgery she underwent last Thursday (Dec 2) was related to that.

More below:

In much sadder news, a report from the National Enquirer says that Ms. Franklin’s form of cancer is incurable, and the R&B legend has less than a year or so to live. The survival rate of pancreatic cancer is just 5-10%.

Via Pop Eater:

According to the report, family and friends close to the Queen of Soul are “very concerned,” but say she is doing “okay.” Family expressed hopes to FOX that fans of Aretha, 68, will send prayers and good thoughts.

In a post at PopCrunch, a National Enquirer story (not available online) is cited saying Franklin’s cancer is pancreatic. The same report notes sources saying Aretha has less than a year to live.

“Though the Enquirer is known for its often-outlandish take on unbiased journalism,” PopCrunch writes, “it should be noted that the publication was the first in the world to report Patrick Swayze and Michael Landon’s battles with pancreatic cancer, a disease that has a less than 10 percent survival rate and ultimately killed both actors. They also blew the lid off Christina Applegate’s breast cancer scare in 2008.”

FOX 2 in Detroit was unable to confirm the specific type of cancer. Franklin underwent a “highly successful” surgery last week, though the cause was not revealed.

We are DEFINITELY keeping Aretha Franklin and her family in our prayers right now, as you should too. This is some terrible news…

Your thoughts?

Aretha Franklin says that she’s thankful for prayers from well-wishers in a statement released Thursday (Dec 2) following a recent “highly successful” emergency surgery. The statement, however, didn’t mention why she needed surgery.

“God is still in control. I had superb doctors and nurses whom were blessed by all the prayers of the city and the country,” the statement read.

Last month, Aretha Franklin announced that she was canceling all upcoming concert dates and appearances through May, per doctor’s orders. That particular announcement came after Franklin briefly paid a visit to a Detroit hospital, though no details were given about her condition at the time.

R&B legend Aretha Franklin‘s 52-year-old son Eddie underwent emergency surgery today (Tues. Sep 21) after he was severely beaten at a Detroit gas station late last night. The police still don’t know exactly what happened because when they went to talk to Mr. Franklin today, he had already checked out of the hospital. And not only that, but there was no security video at the gas station to help investigators figure out what really happened.

“We’re waiting for him to file a police report,” Detroit Police Sgt. Eren Stephens said. “When our officers went to talk to him at the hospital, he had already checked himself out and left.” (Source)

However, according to the Queen of Soul’s spokeswoman Gwendolyn Quinn, Eddie Franklin was attacked by two men and a woman who appeared to be about 19 years old. One of the guys had dreadlocks and all three suspects were African American. Citing preliminary information, Detroit police confirmed Franklin was found at a gas station in a city and an unidentified person took him to an area hospital and then filed a police report.

Sgt. Stephens says they’ll have more information once they talk to Eddie.

But keep Aretha and her son in your thoughts/prayers!! The world just isn’t safe anymore, SMH…

We never would have expected this in a million years….

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice took to the stage with the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin last night at a benefit concert held at the Mann center for Performing Arts in Philadelphia. Rice played the keys while Aretha sung “I Say a Little Prayer” and “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.” The benefit concert was held to help improve inner-city youth programs and education initiatives.

Now that’s an unusual pair….

]]> http://gossiponthis.com/2010/07/28/condoleezza-rice-takes-the-stage-with-aretha-franklin-at-benefit-concert-in-philadelphia/feed/ 1 http://gossiponthis.com/2010/06/16/guess-what-hollywood-fashion-no-no-aretha-just-pulled/ http://gossiponthis.com/2010/06/16/guess-what-hollywood-fashion-no-no-aretha-just-pulled/#comments Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:12:32 +0000 Gossip On This! Staff http://gossiponthis.com/?p=66592

She changed wigs, but she forgot to switch something else!

Aretha Franklin pulled one of the biggest no-no’s in the book of red carpet etiquette. More »

She changed wigs, but she forgot to switch something else!

Aretha Franklin pulled one of the biggest no-no’s in the book of red carpet etiquette. On Sunday (Jun 13), Aretha hit the red carpet of the 2010 Tony Awards in a shiny gold dress with a feather boa and Chanel bag.

And guess what she wore Monday night to the Apollo Theater Benefit Concert & Awards Ceremony?…

This chick pulled one of the biggest no-no’s of red carpet etiquette and wore the same exact dress again!

Why would she do something like this? No one quite knows. Maybe she didn’t have time or was just too lazy to go buy another dress, or maybe she is trying to change the game send a message that it’s okay to where the same dress twice (in the same week) on the red carpet at TWO separate events on TWO separate nights!

Or maybe she just loves that damn dress too much. It’s okay to have a favorite outfit and everything but c’mon Aretha! You know better than that! We hope you at least had it dry-cleaned or something too, SMH…

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Aretha Franklin, Lenny Kravitz, Ozzy Osbourne and the Black Eyed Peas took part in helping the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrate their 25th birthday Friday night (Oct 30) at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

Continue reading for more pictures!

In a move that surprised damn near everyone, Lil Kim and Cyndi Lauper performed “Time After Time” on stage together Saturday night (Jul 18) at the Mandela Day 46664 Celebration Concert … and Lil Kim sang! Albeit, Kim didn’t do very well with her vocals but we give her credit for being bold enough to do something like that in front of so many people. With a little more confidence and some vocal training, homegirl might be able to carry a little tune!

Alicia Keys, Will.i.am, Aretha Franklin and more also helped Nelson Mandela celebrate his 91st birthday at the annual 46664 event, which was held this year at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall. Continue reading for more pics and for the video of Kim performing.

[VIDEO] LIL KIM & CYNDI LAUPER PERFORMING “TIME AFTER TIME”

PHOTOS: WIRE IMAGE / GETTY IMAGES

I’ve been a little detached from the internet over the past couple of weeks due to a few offline obligations and what-not, but I’m slowly getting Gossip On This back into the groove of things. I’m not sure if many other blogs have shown a lot of these but here are a few photos of some of the biggest names in Hollywood watching history in the making as Barack Obama was sworn into office as the 44th President of the U.S.

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES