Aretha's Still A Diva!
Filed under: Music Minute
We are so in love with Aretha Franklin's unabashedly diva behavior!
Embrace it!
Miz Franklin allegedly pulled some diva shiz before her performance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's 25th anniversary - the soul legend demanded the air conditioning be shut off hours before her performance at NYC's Madison Square Garden!
Aretha left a string of angry voicemails to the promoters, threatening to cancel if her "elaborate demands" were't met!
In one voicemail, Franklin is heard saying, "I am sorry that it is going down this way, but that's the way it's going down."
Of course, Miz Franklin's demands were met and the show went on as planned.
Whatever Aretha wants, Aretha gets!
[Image via WENN.]
Robbie Goes Back To His Roots With Take That!
Is this the 
Ummm it's not okay for anyone to be a diva. It's childish and uncalled for.
LOL I love it. She and Diana Ross are the original DIVAS!
god i think i am put off my dinner for life. she is as fat as that dildo u want shovin in your fat gay ass perez. does she think she looks gud cos from here all i see is a dirty fukn freak who needs to be euthanised a.s.a.p. Just lookn at her probally makes perezs dick shrivel up into a tiny crust infested worm and fall off, rolling under the fridge he was at. dont worry one quick look at some more tween porn aka patto and efron will bring the little maggot back 2 life. peace out.
I'm sorry but it's not okay for ANYONE to be a diva. Not even for a legend like Aretha. Why is being down to earth and humble so hard?? I hate when celebs think they can treat people like shit and get away with it.
of course she is. she's a fat bitch.
Funny how you "wrote" it on her tits.
Aretha needs to sit her old fat ass down and stop being delusional about her career…
Mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!
who is she and why the hell should this fat asses demands be met?
"Whatever Aretha wants, Aretha gets!"
Not a true statement. Aretha wants to be thin and pretty and young. But she can't. So she acts like a bitch because she's unhappy and bitter.
Usually I think "diva" behavior is uncalled for but in her case…
1.She's paid her dues, if anyone was "allowed" diva moments, she can a couple.
2.Air conditioning can affect one's voice/throat when someone is about to sing. So, asking to turn off the air conditioning or things like it, is not so " diva" after all….
and how is it okay for anyone to be a diva? it's really not, okay we get it you're fucking famous that doesn't give you the right to be a complete prick to everyone.
why is every1 afraid to stand up to this beast. i wud slap her around like my mexican maid. if she does not do wot i say i give her a swift boot to the chops. the obese and mexicans must be treated this way or they will nevr learn. judging from the size of her the only thing she has learned in kfcs menu in every language.
Re: jones19 – I love a diva who knows she's a diva.
You right, Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross are the original divas, they're the real deal!!
no arethea still not a diva, more like to cheese burgers away from a heart attack
Re: Laury – True, no one should be a diva, it is kinda childish, but when your willing to admit it I think its better. There are SO many "divas" out there and they wouldn't admit it, atleast Diana and Aretha realize and admit it!! But people who aren't divas come off as alot more likeable to the public; Michael Jackson was never a diva, he was very humble even when he was the biggest star in the world. He was more humble than probally any other celebrity out there and he was 10x more famous than any other celebrity out there. But only a certain type of person can remain unchanged by fame, a special person, and Michael was one of those people.
Re: perezspersonalballhandler – why don't you learn how to spell first estupido.
I'm still waiting to hear what those elaborate demands were. What kind of post is this? It says nothing.
Imagine what a sex tape with her in it would be like.
That isn't "diva behavior" and it's not unreasonable. Air conditioning affects a singer's voice. Aretha is old. She is almost 70 years old. She probably doesn't have a lot of "voice" left. So she does what she has to do to make sure the climate and temperature don't work against her. I bet if you check out the "working conditions" of Celine Dion or Barbra Streisand among others, you will find that they can be very demanding, too, Perez. Especially Streisand who's not too much younger than Aretha.
I agree, it's not ok for anyone to be a diva…she is no better than anyone else. If she wanted to pull out I'd say fuck it and let her. SHE IS replaceable…plus you'd think with her massive size she would want the ac on and not risk over heating….I think her boobs way as much if not more than I do…tear.
She may be a "big girl" but she is the greatest female singer of all time. Even Whitney and Mariah in their prime couldn't convey the emotion The Queen of Soul put into her music. There are very few living legends anymore, Aretha is definitely one of them.
And rightly so.
Oh Perez, Perez you young up and coming wannabe gay guys, just don't get it. It has been known for quite sometime that Aretha does not like air conditioning. The first Divas show that was a huge focus on this. A lot of singers, and I'll take a shot at your little tour this summer which was lacking in quality, cannot handle air conditioning. It affects their ability to project. This blurb should have been about the weight loss that Aretha appears to be having. But the word Diva has been cheapened by your generation to make it near meaningless. As one poster mentioned, Diana, Barbra and Aretha are truly Divas in the most positive sense of the word in my opinion…..some of their antics are humorous, others not so. But at the end of the day, the spitney fears, slut-donnas are the also rans….that never were. The aforementioned ladies are the real deal! You should go back take a course in Gay Divas Perez….you might save yourself some embarrassment. Spitney Fears is anything but a Diva….WT, not doubt, Diva….not in this lifetime!
stupid pig
How is turning off Air Conditioning "Diva Behavior"? Air Conditioning affects many a singer's voice.
Re: AriLove13 – Amen! All hail Divas Ross and Franklin!
What's the worry here…..
Afraid your vocal cords will dry up/ get cold with the A/C ??
How about lose some effing weight and you can breathe better and actually sing again.
What you pass off as a voice these days is a joke!
Thats not a demand. Any singer knows air conditioning can ruin your voice and tighten up your vocal cordes so she asked for what she should have asked for.. I think however she should add Jenny Craig to the list…
Aretha should concern herself more with diabetes, high colesterol, heart disease and that extra person she's carrying around on her body. She'd have a lot more years of diva-ness if she'd take better care of herself.
Does Aretha Franklin belong to the same Health Club as Penny Marshall? Seafood diet…eat EVERYTHING you see, anytime you want.
She's had this policy for a long time and had it when she sang opera at the grammys as well. It hurts her voice.
And she's earned it.
If anyone gets to be a diva it's Aretha. And lots of singers are persnickety about what air conditioning does to their voices.
I have a cousin who sings opera professionally. She said that singers usually do all kinds of things for their voices. They keep themselves in a humid environment, usually having a special level of humidity in rooms they sleep in, they usually don't use all their vocal cords when they speak. All kinds of things. I don't know how true the story about the irate calls is, but the humidity thing is.
uhh…
she's not being a diva geniuses. vocal chords don't perform well unless they're relaxed. the cold isn't conducive to that. in slow folk's terms, you can't sing w/ an A/C running.
Re: Lady_Saccharine_Sweetness – i totally agree just cos this warthog sang a few good tunes does not give her the right to ruin ppls lives she knows nothing about….ppl who cud have done a lot much more than her, why do gays respect this shit??
A diva? She's not even relevant anymore. She stopped being relevant in the 60s.
Even if she DIDN'T NEED to do this to help out her amazing pipes I'd still see nothing wrong with this.
I never thought being call a "diva" was a compliment unless the woman referred was an opera singer. It's a word used to define such a woman. Unlike now when it is used to define any woman with an "attitide" about herself.
This is a huge "WHY?" a "Why Is She Allowed In The Streets Wearing That Hedious Pieces Called Clothes?" She doesnt look like a diva, she looks like a wanna be diva, so next time you wanna go out, get your true friends' opinions or a mirror
…I love Aretha. God Bless her.
I never thought being call a "diva" was a compliment unless the woman referred was an opera singer. It's a word used to define such a woman. Unlike now when it is used to define any woman with an "attitude" about herself.
You Douche! AC Affect's Singer's Voice and Ability 2 Project! And You Want 2 Manage Artisit's w/ A Lable? Geees!
Educate Yourself!
a fat one
What a bitch.
Oh lord, the only thing morbidly obese post-menopausal women love more than QVC is air conditioning!!! Obviously Ms. Franklin was protecting her voice- AC has a drying effect on the vocal cords. This was not a diva fit…it was a reasonable demand…Mama has got to deliver the money notes and it isn't going to happen if her voice is ganked up. Now someone get a sandbelt…Ms. Franklin's got some corns and she hasn't seen her toes since 'Think.'
She's one of the rare star I ever met at close edge, along with George Clooney and James Brown.
If those are her real hairs they're gorgeous.
Dear DIVA FRANKLIN… EVER HEARD OF SPANX!!!!!!!!! I'M JUZ SAYIN…GEEZ!
when ANY of you are as good at anything as she is at singing … then you can judge her … but none of you are a jury of her peers lol that's for damn sure
Re: Tastethis – whatever you're on, pleas share! replace her with WHOM exactly? ROFLMAO … she has no equal
I WOULD THINK, with her extraordinary weight gain, that she would want the air conditioner ON.
#22–Franklin USED TO BE a geat singer. Her voice has been shot for over 20 years. Her weight and chain smokng destroyed the strengthin her vocal cords. She sounds strained and even strangled these days. Annie Lennox is 54 and sounds better than ever.
She continues to surpass her younger years vocally. That is amazing.
Wonderful talent but she needs to learn how to dress for her full figure.
Re: perezspersonalballhandler – You sure do bitch and whine a lot, PPBH. What you need is a good heapin' helpin' of Muscle Man Butt Love. Then you'll be real mellow.
Just like after a good old fashioned cathartic Aretha Franklin concert.
Re: myssipooh – hahaha well Mary J. could def. replace her. Urethra's voice is gone anyway and listening to her is like listening to a pig being slaughtered. Everytime I see her performing, I just ask myself WHY?
Re: JorgeClueknee – Hilarious!
She of all people should not be diva-like. She should be a mature veteran of Hollywood instead of acting like one of these dumb ass reality twats. I know she has notorious diva behavior (which I believe) because I didn't read about it on this site. But for the purpose of this thread I should point out that asking the air conditioning to be shut off is only diva behavior if you put the word "demand" in front of it. So which is it, Perez?
Re: Muscle Man Butt Love Bandit – LOL - you're awesome!
She's required a 'no AC' rider since forever! Saw last at the Apollo in June, no AC.
Actually, that's not that unreasonable a demand. As a singer, I can tell you, air conditioning really screws with your voice. She probably demaded it be turned off because she wanted to preserve her voice.
it's been known for years that Aretha doesn't sing in an air conditioned room. she made oprah do the same thing in her studio and oprah was sweating like a pig.
AS USUAL PEREZ IS A DOUCHE!! OF COURSE SHE WANTS THE A/C OFF, IT DRYS OUT THE VOCAL CHORDS FASTER WHEN SINGING AND CAUSE THE VOICE TO BECOME HOARSE. HER GOD DAUGHTER WHITNEY REQUESTS THE SAME. NOTICE ON OPRAH THE A/C WAS OFF WHEN WHITNEY WAS SINGING AND OPRAH WAS SWEATING LIKE A FAT PIG.
The cool air would wilt her elaborate hats.
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That's not being a diva, it's being concerned with your vocal chords!!!
But what's with the Goodyear dress?
WORK IT AUNT RE RE!!!!!
Shut up, with a voice like that and her being a total legend.
She can be fat and bitchy all she wants.
Did anyone notice her bandaged feet and electrical tape! Also she is wearing stillettos and the are buried in the pavement!
She is the fucking Queen of Soul. Many artists have this as a demand because of vocal reasons. I will say I have about 280 Aretha Franklin songs on my ipod but I don't care much for her live shows. Her voice is kind of shot and she seldom performs for more than an hour. This will sound dark but I go to her shows so that when she passes I can say I saw here on here last tour.
Aretha's size looks better than it has in the past and this outfit does not even cover the extent of outrageous she will wear on and off stage. She is a big fan of furs and puffy dresses.
Other things in her concert rider include assorted canapes and a completely silver tea set and utensils. Plus a lot of cash walking around money.
If you go to the s m o k i n g g u n site you will find a backstage section with dozens upon dozens of artist's demands before the concert. All the Diva's and mini-Divas are there, Aretha, Tina, Cher, Chaka, Janet, Mary J, Britney, Rihanna, Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson and Lady Gaga.
For instance would you guess Gaga likes a whole roasted chicken, dried apples and mangos, cheese that is neither sweaty or smelly, and also dark chocolate covered almonds?
And these are very tame requests check out all Chaka asks for.
what a disgusting pile of lard, ugh. i just dont understand how people can let themselves go like that.
Re: perezspersonalballhandler – yea she big and all but you went too far your insenity level SUCKS!!!!!!
Re: LaDiva – maybe pomoters must be crazy cause they still paying her to do show
Re: perezspersonalballhandler – Then try it then your White ass would get smashed like the CRACKER you ARE
Re: Tastethis – i love Mary J Blige, too, actually … but come on lol as incredible as she is, heads and shoulders above any younger woman out there right now, i bet she'd be horrified, and the first to correct you, for the comparison to the Queen
Unfortunately at my school, they have changed the bell to 'RESPECT' by Aretha here.
Nine times a day, five times a week I have to hear that damn song
what? why? whats the airconditioning got to do with anything?
OPRAH IS THAT YOU???? NO SHE'S NOT BUT THEY BOTH ARE UGLY.
OH GOD top quality there
Beyonce in 30 years! Hahahaahaahahahaha i'm i'm i'm a diiiivaaaa
first, shes a heffer.. second, her singing style is the typical black woman "screeching" style… she should sit in her dressing room with her comped twinkies, and shut the hell up.
on a random note. she looks way thinner. i remember at some point i could basely recognize her.
This fat pig did the same shiz in Pittsburgh. She actually stopped the show 3X demanding that they turn the air off. Right in the middle of song! I wish I could've got my money back. She's a has been, most of her vocals came from back up singers. She was to fat to deliver them.
This fat piece of shit is broke. She filed for bankruptcy years ago and is known for not paying her tabs at hotels, restaurants, etc. She needs to be grateful that anyone will pay to hear her fat-ass screeching.
Re: wooshie – In 1987, Aretha became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2008 Rolling Stone named her its #1 Best Singer of the Rock Era, coming in before Ray Charles, Elvis, Sam Cooke and John Lennon, in that order. Aretha has won 18 Grammy Awards over the years with the most recent awarded in 2008.
Maybe you are too fucking STUPID to research Ms Franklin's accomplishments but to say "a few good tunes", is out and out FUCKED UP!!! And to all the other FUCKING morons making fun of her weight how superficial - let's see what you look like at 67 years old..you better R.E.S.P.E.C.T. and honor this true DIVA.
Well, to cut her some slack, what she does vocally is way beyond what any other popular singer I've ever heard can accomplish and she has said many times she has trouble singing when it's cold. If you're just going to lip sync or use an echo box then the temp doesn't matter, but for her it does. Since she gets criticized whenever she's not up to the very high bar that she herself set, I don't blame her for trying to optimize the conditions.
Re: Tastethis – Do you even know who you are talknig about? She is not replacable. You are a fucking tard. She is a Queen of Soul you fucknut. Especialyl going into a Hall of Fame concert?
Oh maria i love your ignorant fans…just like you.
She can do whatever she wants!
She's a REAL DIVA
We all need Divas
She needs to die, and anyone "in love with" this behavior should be sent to live with Dick Cheney and used for target practice.
Re: contrarianchick – DO THE WORLD A FAVOR AND GO FUCK YOURSELF AND DIE…..
Love her - but she looks like Hell…would someone dare use the word exercise???
hasn't her doctor used that word with her? If no one told her about exercise then they don't love her…
She's always been my favorite and most respected (for chops) singer. That said, she needs to get over herself and hit the damn treadmill. She's coasting on past accomplishments. Get in shape and put something new and tasty out.