Home : TV, Dancing with the Stars, Food Glorious Food : Aretha Franklin -- Dancing with the Diva?

Aretha Franklin -- Dancing with the Diva?

Posted Nov 18th 2008 12:30PM by TMZ Staff

Rolling with an entourage of six large gentlemen last night at The Ivy, it's easy to see how some people would consider Aretha Franklin a diva -- and by "some people," we mean the staff at "Dancing with the Stars."
Aretha Franklin: Click to watch
The Queen of Soul is set to perform on the show tonight, but sources there tell TMZ Aretha has quite the list of demands. Among them, we're told Aretha has requested the air conditioning be turned off whenever she sings and we're also told she was adamant about switching up her song at the last minute ... but even if it is "diva" behavior, does it really matter?

Note to "DWTS" staff -- she's ARETHA FRANKLIN. She can do whatever the hell she wants.

Now somebody go get her a big mac.

See Also



Tags: aretha franklin, ArethaFranklin, Dancing with the Stars, DancingWithTheStars, diva, DWTS, performance

Comments [26]
SHARE |
4ie6

Relevant Posts

Reader Comments

(Page 2 of 2) Previous 15 Comments

16. Don't be bad-mouthing Aretha....she's a living damn legend!

Posted at 3:50PM on Nov 18th 2008 by moveover00

17. girlfriend needs to keep her fat arse on a treadmill and out of the McDonalds.

Posted at 4:06PM on Nov 18th 2008 by RJinchitown

18. i have to agree with you on this one...the last i heard of her (musically) was when she went riding on the "freeway of love" back in '85

Posted at 5:04PM on Nov 18th 2008 by #14

19. There is nothing in this world like Aretha's voice. It is truly amazing. So what if she acts like a diva from time to time, she has EARNED the right to clown if she wants to. Go on, mama! IDo you. 'll be watching DWTS.

Posted at 5:20PM on Nov 18th 2008 by monique

20. I saw the Queen back in 1968 at the Univesity of Maryland. She kept 20,000 people waiting for 2 hours. She was drunk when she came on stage, cursed out her band, and only sang for 45 minutes and left. But it took 50 guards to surround her to keep the throngs of White people from mobbing her. Not from being pissed, but from being PLEASED! She was ushered out with a towel around her neck and head and sweating because in those brief 45 minutes she gave her all, and you knew why you were there. Other bands were booed off the stage waiting for her to come on. Even though she was tanked and ugly with her band for not playing how she wanted, the experience was true history. Only the young people see her as fat. She has earned her Diva status! She is one of a kind, like Stevie Wonder.

Posted at 6:04PM on Nov 18th 2008 by Dr Sick

21. P.S. and show the LADY some R-E-S-P-E-C-T !!

Posted at 6:12PM on Nov 18th 2008 by Dr Sick

22. All I have to say is she should fire who ever designs the tents she performs in, the woman is big but damn those outfits make her look like the big top

Posted at 6:22PM on Nov 18th 2008 by ANdy

23. Her outburst with Beyonce really got my goat. But I do understand her needing the air conditioner off while performing.She is not the only singer who has this request. Some of her latest rants have been childesh and un called for, but this I do understand

Posted at 8:24PM on Nov 18th 2008 by Stop the HATE and increase the PEACE

24. I watched Aretha's performances on DWTS...and WOW...what a disappointment! She sounded nothing like she used to sound. What a paltry performance. She may be the "queen of soul" to some, but she aint no queen. I just went and saw Tina Turner in concert...now SHE is AMAZING!! I wouldn't pay 1/10th the amount to see Aretha in concert as I did to see Tina!!

Posted at 9:31PM on Nov 19th 2008 by jdljr

25. If food was as tasteless as TMZ's juvenile journalism
Then maybe Aretha Franklin wouldn't eat as much.
come on TMZ! some people and some things should be left alone
you can do silly, petty, absurd, stories on the soulless douche-bags of hollywood
(which means it's open season on the entire TMZ staff)
but you have to leave the soul sister alone, she has a soul, she's off limits.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T... find out what it means, TMZ!


Posted at 5:48PM on Nov 26th 2008 by Celebrity Endorsement

26. That was the worst performance I have ever heard. They could at least choose someone who you could understand the words she was singing. If you want a black soul singer then get a good one. Give me a break...I couldn't understand a word she said....what a disgrace to a song.

Posted at 11:38PM on Jan 20th 2009 by honest

Previous 15 Comments