Recent+years



In 2006 Aretha Franklin began to noticeably gain weight. In March of '06 Franklin gave defence back to her recent weight gain. Aretha states "I'm proud to be big" Aretha mentions that she regrets starving herself for four decades to maintain an acceptable music industry body. Aretha says "I definitely was never meant to be a model-type walking down a runway - I'm just Aretha singing what she feels in her heart and soul."

Until this day Aretha is looked up to. In 2008 Rolling Stone Magazine awarded Aretha a spot in their '100 greatest singers of all time". Aretha has influenced many commonly known artists of today such as Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Aaron Neville, and Annie Lennox.

[|Weight gain article] [|Rolling Stone Magazine/Influences]