R&B legend Aretha Franklin is still recording at 72 years of age, which is almost as impressive as the fact that she took on some of toughest studio performances in history with her new album.
Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics landed on shelves in October, and includes covers of Adele, Etta James, Gladys Knight and several others.
Speaking with Billboard about the new project, Franklin brought up the new generation of soul singers.
"I think they're doing a very good job - Beyoncé, Alicia [Keys], Jennifer [Hudson]," Franklin said. "I hear my influence sometimes; I know when my voice, when something I'm known for, has passed. But these young ladies, for the most part, are all very original."
Of course, Franklin is still doing her own thing, and had a blast making the record.
"I had a really good time," she said. "I love this music. I bought most of these records in the original version -- I had the occasion to tell Berry Gordy that he owed me a ton of money for all the Motown records I bought!"
"'Ain't No Mountain High Enough,' 'Midnight Train,' 'Survivor' -- that's one of me and my granddaughter's favorite songs. Victory, that's her name. I'm coaching her; she wants to be a singer, and she's coming along very well. She sang for me on the BET Honors. She's more of a student right now, and she's definitely finishing her education. But she has the voice, and she's a very fast learner."
She also discussed the performance of the songs during future live dates.
"I'm really looking forward to singing them in concert, because after a certain amount of time, the vocals are going to change, and it's always a change for the better," she said. "It always changes naturally, and only improves."
"'I Will Survive,' 'No One,' 'At Last' -- I have writers working on arrangements for those now. The stage arrangement is usually the same as the record, but you add something to give people something a little extra special, you get to be a little more creative with the arrangements."
Ticketmaster currently lists four upcoming gigs for Franklin. The legend has shows scheduled at:
11/08: Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre Atlanta
11/13: Baltimore, MD @ Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric
03/14: Newark, NJ @ New Jersey Performing Arts Center
03/20: Bridgeport, CT @ Webster Bank Arena
