Posted by | Ray Cornelius
Diva tantrums, illicit sex, celebrity feuds, and addictions to alcohol and chicken are just a few of the “alleged” secrets revealed in David Ritz’s new tell-all book about the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. The book is titled RESPECT and paints a very different picture of the musical icon that will have fans scratching their heads and turning the pages at the same time.
According to The Daily Mail, RESPECT will give fans a ‘real’ inside view of her roller coaster life including detailed quotes from the artists and industry vets that worked with her.
Here are some of the “alleged” details:
•Aretha’s father, Rev. C.L. Franklin, had a notorious reputation for being promiscuous and threw sex orgies including gay and straight attendees
•Aretha was locked into an abusive marriage with husband and manager Ted White, who was also a pimp and used prostitute earnings to invest in her career. The marriage drove her to drink, causing her to miss performances and cancel concerts
•Aretha was jealous and threatened by the careers of Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross. Contrary to popular belief, she didn’t get along with Whitney Houston and had a longstanding feud with the late Luther Vandross, demanding that he call her Ms. Franklin
•Aretha was furious over Beyoncé’s referrence to Tina Turner as the “Queen” during the 2008 Grammys
•When Aretha stopped drinking, food became her addiction including sweets and fried chicken
Not sure how true this is but it definitely makes for a good read. No word yet from Franklin about these allegations or the book. Stay tuned…
What are your thoughts about these rumors? We’d love to hear from you.
Photo Credit: TheDailyMail.co.uk
