After dealing with several health issues in recent years, Detroit legend Aretha Franklin has made a full recovery and is back on the road, having kicked off a tour with two back-to-back dates at Radio City Music Hall earlier this month.
Moreover, The Queen of Soul is in the middle of recording her 40th studio album, an all-covers LP that will focus on songs by “divas” and is tentatively set to be released in September.
Although music industry icon Clive Davis is serving as executive producer of the album, Franklin recently revealed that OutKast’s André 3000 has been brought on board to co-produce the final four songs, after fellow Detroiter Don Was had to back out of the project due to scheduling conflicts. Franklin has already recorded five tracks with Babyface and Daryl Simmons.
So far, the LP will feature renditions of Gladys Knight & the Pips’ “Midnight Train to Georgia,” Barbra Streisand’s “People,” Donna Summer’s “Last Dance,” Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” and Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” Franklin has said she would consider doing a cover of Destiny Child’s 2001 hit “Bootylicious” as well.
Next spring, Franklin hopes to hold auditions in Detroit to select 15 vocalists she would like to personally coach toward stardom. In the meantime, she has a biopic in the pipeline with the Lifetime channel, for which she’s talking with potential producers and considering possible actors to portray her. At the top of this diva’s list to “cover” her: Jennifer Hudson or Audra McDonald.
Aretha Franklin returns to Detroit to play DTE Energy Music Theatre on July 12.