Aretha Franklin’s tragic death had her being praised by Mariah Carey, Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand and even more legendary divas — after decades of the outspoken Queen of Soul defending her throne! The beloved R&B legend was just as famous in music circles for speaking very bluntly about her contemporaries. That included a legendary feud with Tina Turner after Beyoncé invoked Aretha’s wrath by introducing the “Proud Mary” singer as a “queen” during the 2008 Grammys. That left Beyoncé being quick to honor Aretha on her deathbed. Other stars, however, reportedly still carried some serious ill will over their caustic encounters with Aretha, with the celebrity diva also famous for her celebrity feuds…
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The public picked up on Aretha's reputation in 1977, when she refused to praise
Natalie Cole — praised by the
New York Times as the "New Queen of Soul." Aretha had done songs by Nat "King" Cole, but said his daughter could only "pick up on another singer's sound...in my estimation, she's just a beginner." Natalie later revealed Aretha snubbed her at the Grammys, saying: "She really hurt me."
Photo credit: Getty Images
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Luther Vandross learned Aretha wasn't impressed by his own credentials when she called him to produce an album in 1981. He later revealed she gave him attitude from the start, saying: "The Aretha I had heard throughout my entire childhood on the radio...wasn't the Aretha I heard on the phone." Aretha later complained: "Luther wanted to tell me how to sing, when it was me whom he had learned much about how to sing!"
Photo credit: Getty Images
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Aretha was also rumored to have held back Roberta Flack's career as a singer on the Atlantic label. Noted producer Joel Dorn recounted in "Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin" that "Aretha saw Roberta as a threat. She actually go up and walked out while I was playing her that first Roberta album. She later complained...it wasn't appropriate for Atlantic to be trying to break another female soul singer."
Photo credit: Getty Images
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Narada Michael Walden also told "Respect" author David Ritz that Aretha was just as competitive when recording with
Whitney Houston, who grew up with the Queen of Soul as a family friend. Walden described a 1989 recording session, saying Whitney was "excited about singing with her Auntie Ree. But when Auntie Ree walked in the studio..she entered as Queen Aretha...like a boxer staring down her opponent."
Photo credit: Mega
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Aretha also got into a feud with Dionne Warwick over Whitney's funeral, saying the "Walk On By' singer had “blatantly lied” while telling the crowd at Whitney's funeral that Aretha was missing the funeral of her goddaughter. Aretha — who denied being Whitney's godmother — said she missed
the troubled singer's 2012 funeral in New Jersey due to "swollen feet," although fans noticed she was able to perform that evening at Radio City Music Hall.
Photo credit: Getty Images
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Soul legend
Gladys Knight jumped in to defend Dionne, while seemingly confirming decades of rumors that she'd been routinely snubbed by Aretha. “I know my sister, Dionne,” said Gladys. “It ain’t nothing to her. Now, Re is a little bit different. It’s just one of those things, everybody got their little knick-knacks going on...Re is gon’ be sensitive and cause a whole lot of riff-raff!”
Photo credit: Mega
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Aretha didn't get more mellow with age, either. When once asked to comment on
Taylor Swift, Aretha simply praised her "beautiful gowns." She also turned up her nose when asked about
Nicki Minaj, saying: "I'm gonna pass on that one!" Aretha was a fan of
Adele, though, and even gave
Diana Ross the ultimate praise, telling Showbiz 411's Roger Friedman that she was glad to have passed on an offer to record Miss Ross' huge hit "Upside Down," saying: “Diana was the right one!”
Photo credit: Mega
The public picked up on Aretha's reputation in 1977, when she refused to praise
Natalie Cole — praised by the
New York Times as the "New Queen of Soul." Aretha had done songs by Nat "King" Cole, but said his daughter could only "pick up on another singer's sound...in my estimation, she's just a beginner." Natalie later revealed Aretha snubbed her at the Grammys, saying: "She really hurt me."
Photo credit: Getty Images
Luther Vandross learned Aretha wasn't impressed by his own credentials when she called him to produce an album in 1981. He later revealed she gave him attitude from the start, saying: "The Aretha I had heard throughout my entire childhood on the radio...wasn't the Aretha I heard on the phone." Aretha later complained: "Luther wanted to tell me how to sing, when it was me whom he had learned much about how to sing!"
Photo credit: Getty Images
Aretha was also rumored to have held back Roberta Flack's career as a singer on the Atlantic label. Noted producer Joel Dorn recounted in "Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin" that "Aretha saw Roberta as a threat. She actually go up and walked out while I was playing her that first Roberta album. She later complained...it wasn't appropriate for Atlantic to be trying to break another female soul singer."
Photo credit: Getty Images
Narada Michael Walden also told "Respect" author David Ritz that Aretha was just as competitive when recording with
Whitney Houston, who grew up with the Queen of Soul as a family friend. Walden described a 1989 recording session, saying Whitney was "excited about singing with her Auntie Ree. But when Auntie Ree walked in the studio..she entered as Queen Aretha...like a boxer staring down her opponent."
Aretha also got into a feud with Dionne Warwick over Whitney's funeral, saying the "Walk On By' singer had “blatantly lied” while telling the crowd at Whitney's funeral that Aretha was missing the funeral of her goddaughter. Aretha — who denied being Whitney's godmother — said she missed
the troubled singer's 2012 funeral in New Jersey due to "swollen feet," although fans noticed she was able to perform that evening at Radio City Music Hall.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Soul legend
Gladys Knight jumped in to defend Dionne, while seemingly confirming decades of rumors that she'd been routinely snubbed by Aretha. “I know my sister, Dionne,” said Gladys. “It ain’t nothing to her. Now, Re is a little bit different. It’s just one of those things, everybody got their little knick-knacks going on...Re is gon’ be sensitive and cause a whole lot of riff-raff!”
Aretha didn't get more mellow with age, either. When once asked to comment on
Taylor Swift, Aretha simply praised her "beautiful gowns." She also turned up her nose when asked about
Nicki Minaj, saying: "I'm gonna pass on that one!" Aretha was a fan of
Adele, though, and even gave
Diana Ross the ultimate praise, telling Showbiz 411's Roger Friedman that she was glad to have passed on an offer to record Miss Ross' huge hit "Upside Down," saying: “Diana was the right one!”
