Aretha Franklin Will Open A Nightclub In Detroit

Aretha Franklin, who has already announced she'll quit touring for good later this year, hopes to open a nightclub in Detroit — and she might even perform on occasion, the powerhouse vocalist told the Detroit Free Press.

"From time to time I would sing, and of course, I would have special artists come in to perform for the city," Franklin told the newspaper.

Franklin, 75, says she's discussed opening the venue — which would appropriately be called Aretha's — for several years with a local broker.

In February, Franklin — who was born in Memphis but grew up in Detroit — revealed her plans to retire from touring by the end of 2017.

"This will be my last year," Franklin told Detroit TV station Local 4. "I will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert. This is it."

Widely regarded as the Queen of Soul, Franklin remains one of the most illustrious musical artists in history with 17 top-10 singles and 41 studio albums to date. She's currently preparing to release another album, which she's working on with Clive Davis and, apparently, Stevie Wonder.

Franklin has experienced a few health concerns in recent years, and was forced to cancel a concert in Toronto in June due to "doctor's orders" after missing three for medical reasons last year.

She has two shows currently scheduled in 2017: an Aug. 26 concert in Philadelphia, as well as one in Lake County, Ill., on Sept. 3. She's also set to play at the Toronto Jazz Festival in June 2018 after missing it this year.

Franklin said she's getting ready to move back to Detroit full-time.

"I'm cleaning house," she said. "I'm going to be moving back into Detroit, and I'm just getting things ready for that. My granddaughter just went to college, so I'm spending time with my grandchildren, and I'm also readying the new CD."

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