Aretha Franklin at 2009 presidential inauguration.
The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, 75, talks about retirement with Gary Graff of The Oakland Press at her Bloomfield Hills home.
“It’s still moving in that direction. It’s winding down,” she says, explaining that the wear-and-tear from 54 years of being on the road has made it time to bring a curtain down on that aspect of her life and career.
“There’s a warranty on everything,” Franklin said. “I’m not happy, exactly, about doing something that you’ve been doing for 54 years that you really, really love. But nothing lasts forever.”
But the reality is, she's not ready to retire.
Franklin tells Graff there's “still a lot of things I want to do” including a new album slated for January that will feature collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Lionel Richie and Yitzhak Perlman. She's also working on a food line with Krispy Kreme.
Additionally, she has a museum, a nightclub-restaurant and a biopic that are in various stages of development.
Next Thursday, a section of Madison Ave. between Brush and Witherell streets in Detroit will be renamed Aretha Franklin Way.
