The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, shared some good and bad news over the weekend. At a birthday celebration in New York Saturday, Franklin announced the good first — a new album and record deal with Clive Davis!
“I have re-signed with Clive Davis, so I’m recording with Clive again,” Franklin told guests including the Reverend Al Sharpton, Debra Lee, and Diane Sawyer at her 70th birthday celebration.
While more information is to be announced, making the deal official, Franklin was in good spirits about recording again.
In bad news, Aretha Franklin confirmed the fact that her anticipated biopic is “on hold.”
Following casting discussions that included names like Halle Berry, Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia, Franklin said the project is in “limbo” for a number of reasons.
“It’s in a limbo position,” she told Detroit Free Press. “It’s just a lot going on.”
Aretha Franklin’s last studio album, “Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love,” was released last year. She has released over thirty studio albums overall, not including Live! and other compilation efforts.
Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, is back with Clive Davis. While a biopic about her life has been put on hold for now, fans are excited to hear that she is returning to work with the man who helped shape her career in the late ’60s and early ’70s. The reunion between these two musical icons comes at an exciting time as music lovers from around the world await new material from both artists.
Aretha Franklin’s presence in popular music cannot be overstated. Her impact on contemporary culture endures through covers of her songs by other artists, samples in modern day hits, and frequent mentions throughout pop culture. Since recording her first album in 1967, she has released almost 60 studio albums and won 18 Grammy Awards—the most ever awarded to a female artist—and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
When Clive Davis met Aretha Franklin in 1967 they had no idea what kind of magic their collaboration would bring forth; however, it quickly became clear that together they were unstoppable. By 1975 they earned three No 1 singles with “Think,” “Border Song (Holy Moses),” and “Rock Steady.” Now after more than forty years apart, Aretha Franklin’s return to working with Clive Davis promises exciting times ahead for music lovers everywhere!
Background Information
Aretha Franklin was one of the greatest singers in history and her work with Clive Davis has been highly acclaimed. The pair worked together on several iconic albums, including Aretha Now, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, Lady Soul, and Spirit in the Dark. Unfortunately, their collaboration came to an abrupt halt when they parted ways in 1972.
However, after 40 years apart, Franklin and Davis rekindled their working relationship in 2012. As part of this reunion, they planned to make a biopic about Franklin’s life that would be directed by Tony Award-winning director Kenny Leon. But unfortunately for fans of the Queen of Soul, production on the movie has now been put on hold due to financial issues.
The film was set to explore Franklin’s career as well as her personal struggles throughout her life. It had all of the ingredients for success – a celebrated cast list including Jennifer Hudson and Mary J Blige; brilliant direction from Leon; and executive producing credits going to both Franklin and Davis – but it simply wasn’t enough to secure funding for its completion. Despite this setback however, there is still hope that we will eventually get to see this long awaited project come to fruition.
Current Status
Currently, the biopic is on hold indefinitely. While Davis and Franklin were determined to make the movie a reality, they have been unable to secure financial backing for its completion. This has caused production to come to an abrupt halt, leaving fans of the Queen of Soul in anticipation about what could have been.
Despite this setback, both Davis and Franklin remain hopeful that one day the project will be picked up again and completed. They are still working together closely in order to find potential investors who can help bring their vision to life. In addition, Leon has expressed his interest in returning as director if the project ever gets off the ground once more.
For now, it appears that Aretha Franklin fans must wait patiently before they get to see her story brought onto the big screen with all of its original promise intact. But with such talent involved – both behind and in front of the camera – there’s no doubt that it will be worth every second when we finally do get our chance.
Conclusion
The legendary Aretha Franklin has certainly had a storied career. After parting ways with Clive Davis, her success in the music industry continued for years. However, it appears that she is now back together with him and ready to make some new magic happen. It’s an exciting time for fans of both artists as they prepare to create something special once again.
It seems that their reunion has put plans for a biopic on hold for the moment. Although this news may come as a disappointment to many who were looking forward to seeing Aretha’s story brought to life onscreen, I’m sure there will be plenty more opportunities down the road. In any case, my hope is that these two musical giants can use their combined experience and talent to give us some truly unforgettable works of art soon.
As one of the most influential singers of all time, Aretha Franklin and Clive Davis have shown us what incredible things are possible when two brilliant minds work together. And while we wait patiently for our chance to see them collaborate again, let’s take solace in knowing that another classic hit isn’t far off!
