Exclusive Details
Aretha Franklin‘s riches weren’t getting much R-E-S-P-E-C-T, allegedly, before she died last August — cops are on the hunt for someone who stole from her.
According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, police in Michigan are conducting an investigation into the...
Aretha Franklin Cash Stolen Before Her Death ... Cops Investigating
Showing posts with label Franklin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Franklin. Show all posts
Friday, January 11, 2019
Aretha Franklin Cash Stolen Before Her Death ... Cops Investigating
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Gold Medalist Missy Franklin Retires From Swimming ... At 23 Years Old
Breaking News
Missy Franklin — the Olympic prodigy who won 4 gold medals as a 17-year-old in the London Games — has announced she’s putting an end to her swimming career at just 23 years old.
The first American woman ever to earn 4 golds in one Olympics in any sport announced...
Gold Medalist Missy Franklin Retires From Swimming ... At 23 Years Old
Monday, November 19, 2018
2018 AMAs Stirring Tribute To Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin was honored at the 2018 American Music Awards with a star-studded performance of the Queen of Soul’s timeless gospel classics … with Gladys Knight leading the way.
Gladys, a friend of the late singer, started the tribute with a beautiful rendition of “Amazing Grace” … bringing the audience to its feet one last time at the end of the 3-hour award show.
Gladys introduced Donnie McClurkin, and he energized the room by singing “Climbing Higher Mountains.”
A gospel choir came onstage for CeCe Winans‘ performance of “Mary Don’t You Weep” … and people were dancing in the aisles by the time Ledisi launched into “How I Got Over.”
The memorial performance ended with gospel duo Mary Mary singing a traditional gospel, “Old Landmark.”
Aretha died August 16 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 76.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Aretha Franklin Remembered With Stirring Tribute at 2018 American Music Awards
Aretha Franklin was honored at the 2018 American Music Awards with a star-studded performance of the Queen of Soul’s timeless gospel classics … with Gladys Knight leading the way. Gladys, a friend of the late…
Saturday, September 1, 2018
John Legend Just Can"t Pick His Favorite Aretha Franklin Song
John Legend picking a favorite Aretha song is like eating just one potato chip … it’s just impossible. John was flying solo Thursday night at Craig’s in WeHo, when our photog asked if one song from the Queen stood out. Check out John’s answer. He…
Friday, August 31, 2018
Smokey Robinson Reminisces About His Lifelong Friend Aretha Franklin
Smokey Robinson was a lifelong friend of Aretha’s, with way too many memories to isolate just one. We got the legendary singer/songwriter at LAX Thursday, where he was leaving for Detroit to attend the Queen’s funeral. Smokey knew Aretha since he…
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Senator Debbie Stabenow Pulling Double Duty For Aretha Franklin, John McCain Services
Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow has one busy — and bittersweet — weekend ahead of her. Debbie plans to attend services for Aretha Franklin in Detroit AND John McCain in Washington D.C. — all in about 48 hours. The Senator tells us it’s going to…
Thursday, August 23, 2018
Aretha Franklin Detroit Memorial Features 24 Musical Acts
TMZ just got a list of the performers who will take the mic at Aretha Franklin’s memorial next Thursday, and it’s awesome!!! Check this out: The Four TopsGladys KnightJohnny GillRon IsleyKiki SheardKurt CarrJean CarneDoug CarnRonnie McNeirLJ…
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Aretha Franklin Had No Will
Aretha Franklin shockingly left no will behind … which is surprising given her circumstances. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the singer died “intestate” — meaning she had no will at the time of death. It’s especially…
Madonna Tries, Mostly Fails to Defend Aretha Franklin Tribute at the VMAs
The Material Girl went ahead on Monday night and earned herself a new nickname:
The Narcissistic, Disrespectful, Rambling Woman Who Managed to Screw Up a Tribute to Arguably the Greatest Singer of All-Time.
It doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but it does sum up what transpired yesterday evening at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards.
Prior to presenting the award for Video of the Year (which went to Camila Cabello), the 60-year old singer was asked to talk about Aretha Franklin, who died last Thursday at the age of 73.
But instead of saying nice things about this iconic artist, Madonna told a rambling story about, well… herself.
You see, a long time ago, Madonna was struggling to make it as a dancer, so she went to a musical theater audition with a group of French producers.
“Why not?” she thought at the time, telling this long story on stage in front of a consued crowd and adding:
“The worst that can happen is I can go back to getting robbed, held at gunpoint, and being mistaken for a prostitute in my third-floor walk-up that was also a crack house.”
Okay, sure. Yeah. Tell us more, Madge…
It turned out that Madonna nailed the dance portion of the audition yet she panicked when those in charge asked her to produce sheet music and sing.
She wasn’t prepared for such a request!
“I had to think fast. My next meal was on the line,” she said, finally bringing this winding tale back to the late subject at suppose hand:
“Fortunately, one of my favorite albums was Lady Soul by Aretha Franklin. I blurted out, ‘You Make Me Feel!’ Silent. ‘You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman!’”
So… Madonna sang this famous song, the producers loved it, but she actually didn’t get the gig.
She did get a job in Paris as a result of the audition, though, and… SIGH.
You really need to just watch clips from this convoluted, self-serving speech below:
How did an Aretha Franklin tribute end up being a story all about Madonna’s early years as an entertainer?
Simple, Madonna explained in a follow-up Instagram post: This was never supposed to be a tribute!
“I was asked to present video of the year by MTV! And then they asked me to share any anecdotes I had in my career connected to Aretha Franklin!” wrote Madonna as a caption to a photo (below) of her and Cabello.
Continued Madonna in her own defense:
“I shared a part of my journey and thanked Aretha for inspiring me along the way. I did not intend to do a tribute to her!
“That would be impossible in 2 minutes with all the noise and tinsel of an award show. I could never do her justice in this context or environment.”
Madonna did conclude her speech at the VMAs by stating:
None of this would have happened, could have happened without our Lady of Soul. She led me to where I am today.
And I know she influenced so many people in this house tonight. I want to thank you, Aretha, for empowering all of us. R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Not very apologetic in her Instagram post, Madonna slammed her critics and reiterated her affection for Franklin, closing her statement as follows:
“Unfortunately most people have short attention spans, and are so quick to judge. I love Aretha! R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
“I Love Camilla! Congrats! I LOVE my dress! AND. I love-L O V E!! and there is nothing anyone can say or do that will change that.”
Well… okay then!
We guess that settles that.
Madonna loves Aretha. And Cabello. And her own fashion taste. And love in general.
And, let’s not forget what Madonna also loves most of all, even in the wake of maybe the most influential artist in history passing away.
HERSELF.
Madonna Gets DESTROYED for Bizarre, Self-Serving Aretha Franklin Tribute
The 2018 MTV Video Music Awards proved that both Jennifer Lopez and Madonna pretty much never age or change.
The former was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the ceremony and also put on an incredible performance that showed off her dance moves and her ridiculous body.
The latter, meanwhile, stood on stage and was tasked with paying tribute to Aretha Franklin, the truly legendary singer who passed away last week from cancer.
But most viewers think she made this tribute all about herself.
Following a video of Franklin’s “I Say a Little Prayer” on a big screen, members of the audience – including Lopez and Camila Cabello – were reduced to tears as they remembered the iconic artist.
Madonna then spent her segment in front of the crowed rambling on about the impact Franklin had on her career.
This maybe, possibly could have worked.
Madonna could maybe, possibly have brought everything back around and used her tale as a way to depict the enormous impact Aretha had on the entire music industry.
Instead, though, she barely even mentioned Franklin by name.
At one point, for example, Madonna shared her experience at an audition where she sang Franklin’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” in a last-minute decision after she had failed to bring sheet music or prepare another song.
Okay…
She explained that she ended up belting out this track “by heart,” acapella.
And then said that the two men for whom she was auditioning didn’t believe “some skinny-ass white girl” was going to “[sing] a song by one of the greatest soul singers that ever lived.”
No one watching had any idea what this had to do with Franklin herself. It just sounded like Madonna giving herself a great deal of props.
Social media was quick to erupt with criticism for the strange, self-serving way in which The Material Girl essentially ignored the entire point of this Franklin tribute.
Madonna did end up saying at least a few nice words about Franklin.
She concluded her rambling speech as follows:
“I want to thank you, Aretha, for empowering all of us. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Long live the queen.”
But the damage had already been done.
Some folks are even calling for an apology to be issued, as explained by these two individuals on Twitter:
I hope the vmas plan to issue a public apology for allowing Madonna to disrespect Aretha Franklin’s legacy like that #VMAs.
“I’m so lost. I thought Madonna was supposed to be paying homage to Aretha but I all heard was her paying homage to herself.
Come on, you are probably thinking.
Could this have been all THAT bad?
Welp, we’ve posted snippets of Madonna’s speech below. Go ahead and find out for yourself!
Friday, August 17, 2018
Aretha Franklin Honored by Pink"s Hot Dogs
How’s this for a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T? One of Aretha Franklin’s favorite joints paid tribute to the late singer with a gigantic banner making it crystal clear … she’ll never be forgotten. Hollywood’s famous Pink’s Hot…
Stevie Wonder Gets Emotional Remembering Last Words to Aretha Franklin
Stevie Wonder choked back tears during an interview in which he revealed his last words to Aretha Franklin before she died. Stevie joined “CBS This Morning” Friday and almost immediately got emotional when asked about his…
Stevie Wonder Gets Emotional Remembering Last Words to Aretha Franklin
Stevie Wonder choked back tears during an interview in which he revealed his last words to Aretha Franklin before she died. Stevie joined “CBS This Morning” Friday and almost immediately got emotional when asked about his…
Jim Carrey Under Fire for Painting "White" Aretha Franklin
Actor Jim Carrey has been pouring his heart and soul into paintings and sharing them on social media.
Those paintings — like his unflattering portrait of Sarah Huckabee Sanders — have sometimes proven to be controversial.
He did a portrait of the late, great Aretha Franklin, but it is not going over well. Did he paint her as a white woman?
The legendary Aretha Franklin passed away at 76 years of age after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Jim Carrey, known for posting his paintings on Twitter as a form of commentary on current events, shared a portrait of her.
“Look how beautiful a life can be,’ Carrey wrote as he shared the image.
Carrey continued: “Thank you, Aretha!”
The painting that he included of the Queen of Soul, however, caused quite a stir.
Do you see what was controversial about this painting?
In life, Aretha Franklin was a dark-skinned black woman. She is one of the most famous black women on the planet.
In Carrey’s painting, Aretha’s skin looks very, very white in tone.
So much so that, without context, some would never have recognized the subject of his work.
And folks on Twitter took to the replies to notice.
This is not a unique phenomenon, unfortunately.
Whitewashing is found in fanart from all sorts of fandoms. People have drawn famous black women, from real ones like Beyonce to fictional ones like Storm or Tiana, with skin so fair that they don’t even look like tan white people.
Sometimes, there is a genuine prejudice behind it. Racism is real, and sometimes that malice makes its way into art.
In other cases, however, it comes from a lack of familiarity with how to draw or paint someone with dark brown skin.
Some art classes simply don’t train people in it. And because so many white faces dominate pop culture, a lot of white artists do not get much practice.
(As you can see, one person even tweaked the image to pay more accurate tribute to Aretha’s skin tone)
We do not think that Jim Carrey was in any way malicious or racist in his intentions.
Rather, his very light painting was the result of white supremacy’s impact on our culture and the arts as a whole.
This can be a useful learning experience for Carrey and for aspiring artists.
And if you’re ever unsure of how you’re portraying someone, you can always look up online resources — or just ask someone.
The spirit of what Carrey did was, of course, great.
Aretha Franklin touched countless hearts and minds with her incredible voice.
It is only fitting that he and other artists want to honor her and her passing.
But sometimes, people screw up — even if it’s something seemingly small. And that can come across as an unintended insult to marginalized communities.
We all need to be conscious of what we do and how we do it in order to be good people.
Otherwise, our respectful tributes seem like an insult.
Virginia Man Gets Shot in Argument Over Aretha Franklin
The death of Aretha Franklin on Thursday morning has elicted an abundance of sorrow and sentimentaltity across the Internet.
For two men in Virginia, however, it led to an intense argument that only concluded when one of them pulled out a gun and shot the other.
Police told WTKR that the disagreement stemmed over whether or not Halle Berry had ever portrayed the legendary singer in a movie.
Serious stuff, as you can see, very much worthy of a firearm being used.
According to this same report, the argument eventually turned physical, with one half of the flap pulling out his weapon and firing it at least once.
The shooting victim is in serious condition, while both men were treated by paramedics at the scene of the altercation in Suffolk and then transported to a local hospital.
An investigation has been opened, but no charges have been filed just yet.
For the record, Franklin said in a 2011 interview that she would love for Berry to play her on the big screen in a biopic someday.
This is what the late artist said at the time:
She was my first choice, everything’s subject to negotiation, and she shouldn’t underestimate her own talent.
There are a number of other leading ladies out there that can definitely handle the role. I never expected Halle to sing. She’s an actress, not a singer.
Many actors have portrayed vocalists by lip-synching to the artists’ original recordings.
Berry, however, declined the honor because she did not think she could do the legendary role justice.
Many years later, in January of 2018, Franklin chose Oscar-winner and former American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson to take on the role of… well… herself.
The movie, which was to be produced by Straight Outta Compton’s Scott Bernstein and Dreamgirls’ Harvey Mason Jr., was to be based on Franklin’s autobiography Aretha: From These Roots.
There is no plans for its production or release at the moment, though.
None of this is meant to imply that it’s worth yanking out a glock and shooting someone who misremembers this series of events.
We’re just giving our readers some background on how/why this argument got started in the first place.
The Queen of Soul, who passed away from pancreatic cancer, will be laid to rest in her hometown of Detroit.
There is not yet a scheduled date for the memorial, but Franklin will be lying in an open casket, according to a new report, with plenty of singers expected to perform.
And thousands of people expected to attend.
Tweeted Barack Obama upon learning of Franklin’s death:
“Aretha helped define the American experience. In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade—our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect.”
“May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace.”
In one of her most memorabe performances, Franklin made the ex-President tear up.
Watch below to see what we mean:
Aretha Franklin Memorial: Will There Be an Open Casket?
As the tributes about Aretha Franklin’s life continue to pour in, we have an update on what will take place next now that the legendary singer has died.
According to TMZ sources, the memorial for the Queen of Soul will take place at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan.
Not only was Franklin a frequent visitor to this locale, but it is big enough to accommodate the many of thousands of people expected to attend.
There was simply no way a church would be able to do so.
TMZ adds that there will be an open casket and, as you likely could have guessed, A LOT of singing.
This museum was also the site of Rosa Parks’ viewing in 2005.
It’s important to note that no date has been set, as of this writing, for the memorial.
Franklin passed away on Thursday morning at her home in Detroit.
She had grown very ill over the past few weeks, following a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer, and had been placed under hospice care prior to her passing.
Surrounded by family members and loved ones, Franklin was 76 years old when she died.
In a statement released by her loved ones shortly after we lost this icon, Franklin’s relatives said the following:
In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart.
We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family.
The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds.
We have been deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from close friends, supporters and fans all around the world.
Franklin was the first woman elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
She won 18 Grammy Awards over her illustrious career, including the Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance for eight straight years at one point.
The artist was even awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in 2005.
Whule there have been a number of moving messages posted online by an endless array of celebrities since Franklin died, one of the most notable comes from Elton John.
Aretha’s final live performance took place in November at a fundraiser for John’s AIDS foundation in New York City and this is what Elton wrote in his friend’s honor yesterday:
The loss of Aretha Franklin is a blow for everybody who loves real music:
Music from the heart, the soul and the Church. Her voice was unique, her piano playing underrated – she was one of my favourite pianists.
I was fortunate enough to spend time with her and witness her last performance – a benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation at St John The Divine Cathedral.
She was obviously unwell, and I wasn’t sure she could perform.
But Aretha did and she raised the roof. She sang and played magnificently, and we all wept.
We were witnessing the greatest soul artist of all time. I adored her and worshipped her talent. God bless her.
My condolences to all her family and friends. We shared the same birthday – and that meant so much to me.
The whole world will miss her but will always rejoice in her remarkable legacy.
The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen.
Ariana Grande: See Her Powerful Tribute to the Late, Great Aretha Franklin
Ariana Grande was scheduled to go on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday night to promote the debut of her incredible new album, Sweetener.
But whatever plans they had made for her were scrapped when the legendary Aretha Franklin died at 76.
Instead, Ariana and The Roots collaborated on a powerful, evocative tribute to the late Queen of Soul. Hear it for yourself:
In the moving tribute video that we have included, Ariana Grande covers "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman" with The Roots providing the instrumentals.
But Ariana also sat down with Fallon and spoke about her experience with the legendary Aretha, including having met her.
"I met her a few times," Ariana admits. "We sang at the White House and she was so sweet and she was so cute, and I was like, ‘How are you a real person?’"
Ariana, Aretha, and Obama under one roof must have been a powerful experience for others there.
"It’s an honor to have met her," Ariana says with all due reverence.
Ariana also revealed to Fallon that she had been called by Aretha, out of the blue.
"She called me one time, one time only," Ariana shares. "And she goes ‘Hi, it’s Aretha,’ and I’m like, ‘Franklin?!""
Literally imagine that happening to you. (Pretend that it"s in a world where anyone picks up the phone for a number that they don"t recognize)
Ariana explains that Aretha had asked if she would be willing to listen to some music by her "nephew or her grandson."
She describes her reaction: "I was like, “Oh my god, I’d be honored to listen. Thank you for thinking of me. Just text me the MP3 or something.’"
Aretha was already in her 70s at this point, so texting her the MP3 wasn"t really in the cards.
Ariana explains: "And she was like, ‘Well, I don’t know how to do that so I’m just gonna send it to you.’"
When Ariana said this, my first thought was well an email is fine, but that"s not what Aretha meant.
"And then," Ariana reveals. "Like, four months later I got a package with a CD."
"But it was nice," Ariana says. "It was great."
Aretha passed away at 76 from pancreatic cancer.
Gwendolyn Quinn was her longtime publicist, and she released a formal statement.
"In one of the darkest moments of our lives," Quinn says. "We are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family."
Aretha is a legend, mourned by millions — but none knew and loved her so well as her family.
The statement continues: "The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds."
Quinn and the family thanked fans for their kindness during this difficult time.
"We have been deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from close friends, supporters, and fans all around the world," the statement continues.
"Thank you for your compassion and prayers," the family says. "We have felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on."
Her voice touched so many.
"As we grieve," the family asks. "We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time."
Of course.
Monday, August 13, 2018
Aerosmith"s Steven Tyler Sends Prayers to Gravely Ill Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin has just about everyone praying for her — and that includes Steven Tyler, who’s got a sweet message for the Queen of Soul. We got Aerosmith’s frontman and his girlfriend, Aimee, on the streets of NYC Monday and it…
Aretha Franklin: Gravely Ill from Cancer, On Death Bed
The music world may soon lose a legend.
According to multiple reports, Aretha Franklin is nearing the end of her brave battle with cancer and may pass away any day now.
The way some websites have written about it, she may even pass away any moment now.
About 18 months after Franklin announced her retirement from the recording industry, telling a Detroit TV station that she felt “exuberant” about this decision, sources tell TMZ that the singer’s health is failing.
An insider – who describes him/herself as a longtime and dear friend of the artist’s – has told TMZ that he/she was given a warning several days ago:
Prepare yourself, this personwas told, she’s dying.
The source adds Franklin was down to 86 pounds at the time this very unfortunate news was share — and that everyone in Aretha’s circle was told, about two weeks ago, that “she could go any time.”
Franklin is 76 years old.
It’s unknown at this time just which type of cancer she has reportedly been diagnosed with.
Over the last few years, Franklin has performanced on a limited basis, most recently taking to the stage last November at an Elton John AIDS Foundation event.
She is pictured in both snapshots above at this event.
The tragic news that the singer’s health is failing came from Roger Friedman over at Showbiz411; while WDIV TV in Detroit says Aretha’s family has confirmed she is gravely ill.
This, unfortunately, seems to be a confirmed report.
Franklin is known as The Queen of Soul.
One could make a convincing argument that she’s the most successful and/or influential female vocalist of all-time.
Yes, there’s Mariah Carey. Yes, there is now Beyonce.
But go ahead and ask either of those women who they admired as an aspiring singer, and then consider the following list of Franklin’s accomplishments:
– She was responsible for more than 20 number-one singles in the United States.
– She was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
– She won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance for eight consecutive years from 1968 to 1975.
– She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in 2005.
“I feel very enriched and satisfied with respect to where my career came from and where it is now,” Franklinonce said, in what sounds like a monumental understatement.
Roland Martin, a reporter who frequently covers Franklin, took to Twitter to share more about her condition on Monday morning.
“Many of you are asking me to confirm the health status of @ArethaFranklin,” he said, adding:
“Folks, I’ve known for several months. The Queen is surrounded by loved ones. That’s all I will say for now. Please keep her, the family and her longtime support staff in your prayers.”
Upon reading about Franklin’s potential, near-future fate, many top artists jumped on Twitter today and expressed their surprise and sorrow.
“My prayers are with Aretha Franklin & her family during this difficult time,” Tweeted Missy Elliott. “MUST CELEBRATE the Living Legends while they are here to see it. So many have given us decades of Timeless music.”
And Paula Abdul wrote:
“My love, prayers and warm thoughts are with Aretha Franklin—the Queen of Soul. I’m praying for her and her health. Thank you to all her family and friends who are standing by her and loving her through her illness.
“I’m holding you all in my heart.”
And then Carey summed up everyone’s take at the moment with the short and simple:
Praying for the Queen of Soul.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)