The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, recently confirmed stories that she plans to marry her longtime friend William “Willie Wilkerson.” And it’s not because she’s pregnant she jokingly said. Franklin who has been married before to Ted White and actor Glynn Turman (A different World, The Wire) has said in previous interviews that she believes in the institution of marriage. This third marriage could be the charm for the powerhouse vocalist from Detroit.
No date for the nuptial has been set. However, Franklin said she is leaning toward a Miami summer wedding in June or July.Franklin who has won 18 Grammys and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2009 is 69 years-old. She has recorded such hits as Respect, Natural Woman, Dr. Feelgood, Chain of Fools and a two gospel albums One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism and Amazing Grace.
She is considering Donna Karan, Valentino and Vera Wang as possible designer of her wedding gown.The Queen of Soul is also an adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock singer. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her a top its "100 Greatest Singers of All
Time" list, as well as the ninth greatest artist of all time. In addition to her competitive Grammys won, she has won two honorary Grammys. She has 20 No.1 singles on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart and two No.1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: "Respect" (1967) and "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (1987), a duet with George Michael.
Since 1961, she has scored a total of 45 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Between 1967 and 1982 she had 10 No.1 R&B albums—more than any other female artist. In 1987, Franklin became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In 2009, Franklin performed for President Barack Obama during his inauguration, when the hat she wore received more attention than her singing. Following the inauguration, the Smithsonian Institution requested the Queen of Soul allow them to add the hat to their collection of iconic pieces.
