Aretha Franklin lost her heart to a fellow showbiz legend — but the notoriously outspoken Queen of Soul still kept fans guessing about her lover’s identity! The mystery began with the release of Aretha’s 1999 autobiography “Aretha: From These Roots.” That’s when the famously outspoken Queen of Soul revealed that she had carried on a secret love affair for 40 years with her fellow star. The superstar singer only described the man as “a well-known public figure,” and insisted on referring to him as simply “Mr. Mystique.” The determined diva refused to reveal her dream man’s identity, though — until finally speaking out on her deathbed! Over the years, though, determined fans had already tried to solve the mystery behind the disappointing mystique…
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The
usually blunt Queen of Soul — who was married twice, and has had numerous boyfriends over the past few decades — called their romance "magical," and said she fell for her mystery lover "with all of my heart." Aretha added: "I always felt we were a natural, a dream couple."
Photo credit: Getty Images
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She wrote that the couple originally shared just a single night of passion in a New York City hotel room after they met in the 1950s. "I had never been kissed, loved or touched like that," she recalled, and awoke to a message written in lipstick on the bathroom mirror: "I love you, baby."
Photo credit: Getty Images
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Aretha credited the mystery man as the inspiration for her 1977 album "Sweet Passion" — but, strangely, the couple didn't reunite after that night until sometime in the '80s. "This was the same charming gentleman who had fascinated me previously," she wrote, but the singer soon learned that Mr. Mystique couldn't be tied down.
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Despite having once hummed Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" to her, wrote Aretha, "Mr. Mystique turned out to be Mr. Selfish, Mr. Self-Centered, Mr. Self-Serving, and Mr. Full-Of-It!" She even boasted of ignoring him when he showed up backstage at another show several years later.
Photo credit: Getty Images
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And, unlike other stars, Aretha seemed determined to keep her secret romance to herself — even as insiders feared the worst with
the soul diva's health woes. "She's too friendly with
Smokey Robinson for him to be Mr. Mystique," insisted one fan, and Motown founder Berry Gordy has never spent years away from Aretha's side.
Photo credit: Getty Images
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"If they met in the '50s," speculated another insider, "then it could be Ike Turner, which could explain why
Tina Turner can't stand Aretha!" But other fans accepted that Aretha would never revisit her great love, saying: "This is one secret she's taking to her grave!"
Photo credit: Getty Images
The
usually blunt Queen of Soul — who was married twice, and has had numerous boyfriends over the past few decades — called their romance "magical," and said she fell for her mystery lover "with all of my heart." Aretha added: "I always felt we were a natural, a dream couple."
Photo credit: Getty Images
She wrote that the couple originally shared just a single night of passion in a New York City hotel room after they met in the 1950s. "I had never been kissed, loved or touched like that," she recalled, and awoke to a message written in lipstick on the bathroom mirror: "I love you, baby."
Photo credit: Getty Images
Aretha credited the mystery man as the inspiration for her 1977 album "Sweet Passion" — but, strangely, the couple didn't reunite after that night until sometime in the '80s. "This was the same charming gentleman who had fascinated me previously," she wrote, but the singer soon learned that Mr. Mystique couldn't be tied down.
Despite having once hummed Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" to her, wrote Aretha, "Mr. Mystique turned out to be Mr. Selfish, Mr. Self-Centered, Mr. Self-Serving, and Mr. Full-Of-It!" She even boasted of ignoring him when he showed up backstage at another show several years later.
Photo credit: Getty Images
And, unlike other stars, Aretha seemed determined to keep her secret romance to herself — even as insiders feared the worst with
the soul diva's health woes. "She's too friendly with
Smokey Robinson for him to be Mr. Mystique," insisted one fan, and Motown founder Berry Gordy has never spent years away from Aretha's side.
Photo credit: Getty Images
"If they met in the '50s," speculated another insider, "then it could be Ike Turner, which could explain why
Tina Turner can't stand Aretha!" But other fans accepted that Aretha would never revisit her great love, saying: "This is one secret she's taking to her grave!"
Photo credit: Getty Images
