Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin is tributed by Christina Aguilera at the Grammys on this Sunday night, February 13th on CBS TV.

Additionally, Miss Franklin will appear via video, and not in person as some rumours are circulating.

Some sources say Franklin is now 100 pounds smaller than when she was last seen in public at the Apollo Theatre. In her last known public appearance on October 15th, 2010 at the funeral of gospel great Albertina Walker, she was noticeably smaller.

Perhaps this appearance is to quell persistent rumours of her imminent death from incurable pancreatic cancer, of which she has not totally denied or admitted, only to say that, "No one in my family said pancreatic cancer".

Be that as it may, there is no getting around what Patti LaBelle said, "I called her two weeks before it was publicized, so I knew for a long time that she had pancreatic cancer. And I knew for a long time that she had lost 50 lbs. So, people are going around with bad rumors that she had liposuction - that's not nice. You know, the lady is suffering. I've talked to her manager to see when I should send flowers to her, and all of that kind of stuff. I'm going to go to Detroit just to see her. She's our Queen - you'll never, ever find another one like her. Ever. She's the best! And a lot of people are in pain. I went and lit a candle for her at a cathedral, and you pray for Aretha Franklin now. She will be back. Love you ReRe!"

[Edited 2/7/11 12:54pm]

100 pounds?!

I just read Jennifer Hudson is also contributing to this.

[Edited 2/7/11 13:05pm]

From Roger Friedman's Showbiz 411:

Aretha Franklin Will Send Video Message to Grammy Awards

02/07/11 2:35pm Roger Friedman 0

The great and legendary Aretha Franklin, contrary to crazy web reports, is not appearing live on stage at Sunday’s Grammy Awards. Miss Franklin, if you are new to this planet, travels by bus. She does not fly. She rarely travels west of the Rockies, and she’s still recuperating from her winter illness. So she’s taped a video message that will be played during the show for her fans–who are everyone, really. She is fine and dandy. She will look a lot thinner, I think, than in her last public outing. But she is healthy. There will be a tribute to her on stage, which there should be every year. But it’s not a send off. Aretha will be back, and soon!

http://www.showbiz411.com...mmy-awards

----

I didn't know it was rumored she would actually go to the Grammys. From my understanding she can't go anywhere until May...

I think she's really sick but is trying her best to hide it

trueiopian said:

I think she's really sick but is trying her best to hide it

I sure hope not!

I don't know why but when I saw that she lost all that weight, I got frightened... I don't even know why. I have a funny feeling about this tribute. I hope Fried Chicken is right for once that Aretha is a-ok.

In addition to Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson and other female vocalists will take part in this tribute to Aretha.

I have a feeling and it is not good.

The old expression, 'send me my flowers while I am living' comes to mind.

I read certain blogs that Aretha was going to be there. I was like "shall I remind you of the doctors telling her to not do anything publicly until May?"

[Edited 2/7/11 13:22pm]

Timmy84 said:

trueiopian said:

I think she's really sick but is trying her best to hide it

I sure hope not!

I don't know why but when I saw that she lost all that weight, I got frightened... I don't even know why. I have a funny feeling about this tribute. I hope Fried Chicken is right for once that Aretha is a-ok.

For some reason I feel like this is the Grammys way of saying goodbye I don't know how I feel about this but I hope I'm wrong, though.

trueiopian said:

Timmy84 said:

I sure hope not!

I don't know why but when I saw that she lost all that weight, I got frightened... I don't even know why. I have a funny feeling about this tribute. I hope Fried Chicken is right for once that Aretha is a-ok.

For some reason I feel like this is the Grammys way of saying goodbye I don't know how I feel about this but I hope I'm wrong, though.

If it is, it's a FUNNY way of showing it. I'm just hoping it's just a simple tribute. I don't like to read news like that. Remember the Luther tribute?

From MLive.com and apparently Aretha did a photo shoot for a JET cover story (I think):

Despite national anthem flop, Christina Aguilera reportedly tributing Aretha Franklin at Grammys

Published: Monday, February 07, 2011, 4:10 PM Updated: Monday, February 07, 2011, 4:34 PM

By Aaron Foley | MLive.com

Word around some entertainment blogs is that Christina Aguilera is opening next Sunday's Grammy ceremony with a tribute to Aretha Franklin.

Zap2It picked up on the item from Wayne's World, a music industry insider blog. Aguilera is set to share the stage with Jennifer Hudson.

Hudson is no stranger to tributing the Queen of Soul, having done so during a United Negro College Fund ceremony a few years back singing "I Never Loved a ...oved You." And Aguilera has taken to the Grammy stage to pay homage to James Brown, singing "It's a Man's, Ma...ck in 2007.

But the announcement couldn't have come at a worse time, considering Aguilera's rendition of t...Super Bowl is going down as one of the worst -- if not the worst -- in recent memory.

The Grammys air Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS. Franklin is up for an award (that would be shared with Ron Isley if she won) and Super Bowl golden Boy Eminem is up for 10 of the trophies.

Wayne's World is predicting that if Aguilera and Hudson are indeed opening the show, Franklin herself would show up in person and lay to rest any rumors about her health. Then again, Franklin has a well-known fear of flying -- so she'd better be on the road now if she'll make it to the Staples Center in Los Angeles in time.

Detroit-based photographer Monica Morgan revealed on her Facebook page that she had shot photos of the Queen for an upcoming spread in Jet magazine, signaling that Franklin may have returned to better health. Stay tuned.

Were we all duped? Seems the betting folks are saying Aretha Franklin had life-saving gastric bypasss surgery to offest her over 300lbs of weight.

Seems Miss Franklin did a photo shoot this past Saturday for JET Magazine and will appear via video feed at the Grammys this coming Sunday.

Five female singers are paying tribute to her. Swansong, perhaps it is a new beginning to a smaller and healthier Aretha Franklin. Let's hope for the latter.

Only The Queen of Soul could pull off such a hoax or cover-up, right?

To keep her cover in effect, her phone numbers have been changed and none of her showbiz pals and gals have been able to reach her. One such galpal celeb stated to a confidant that Miss Franklin had called her, but from a blocked number. She attempted to phone her back on the number she had on her and it was no longer in service.

During her surgical procedure, her cousin Brenda had been answering her cell.

Sunday, February 13, 2011 will give a visual that should speak volumes.

[Edited 2/7/11 14:32pm]

RnBAmbassador said:

Were we all duped? Seems the betting folks are saying Aretha Franklin had life-saving gastric bypasss surgery to offest her over 300lbs of weight.

Seems Miss Franklin did a photo shoot this past Saturday for JET Magazine and will appear via video feed at the Grammys this coming Sunday.

Five female singers are paying tribute to her. Swansong, perhaps it is a new beginning to a smaller and healthier Aretha Franklin. Let's hope for the latter.

Only The Queen of Soul could pull off such a hoax or cover-up, right?

To keep her cover in effect, her phone numbers have been changed and none of her showbiz pals and gals have been able to reach her. One such galpal celeb stated ot a confidant that Miss Franklin had called her, but from a blocked number. She attempted to phone her back on the number she had on her and it was no longer in service.

During her surgical procedure, her cousin Brenda had been answering her cell.

Sunday, February 13, 2011 will give a visual that should speak volumes.

Well isn't this one confusing tale?

Jennifer Hudson and Christina Aguilera?

Oh God, get ready for a screamfest.

Layzie said:

Jennifer Hudson and Christina Aguilera?

Oh God, get ready for a screamfest.

Never seen this photo of Aretha, this is presumably from when she received her doctorate from Yale last year:

[img:$uid]http://shavarross.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Aretha-Franklin-Yale.jpg[/img:$uid]

Timmy84 said:

trueiopian said:

For some reason I feel like this is the Grammys way of saying goodbye I don't know how I feel about this but I hope I'm wrong, though.

If it is, it's a FUNNY way of showing it. I'm just hoping it's just a simple tribute. I don't like to read news like that. Remember the Luther tribute?

Yeah and a year later, he unexpectedly passed away. I just don't like reading things like this or when a ceremony does things like this. Whether Re Re is trying to cover it up or deny false rumors, everyone deserves their privacy and rest. I think this industry and the media are just eating this up. Sure, we deserve to honor her achievements and music, but leave that stuff about her health at the door. But what the Grammys are doing, it isn't surprising...not one bit. The media, like always, are gonna chew this up and you mark my word.

silverchild said:

Timmy84 said:

If it is, it's a FUNNY way of showing it. I'm just hoping it's just a simple tribute. I don't like to read news like that. Remember the Luther tribute?

Yeah and a year later, he unexpectedly passed away. I just don't like reading things like this or when a ceremony does things like this. Whether Re Re is trying to cover it up or deny false rumors, everyone deserves their privacy and rest. I think this industry and the media are just eating this up. Sure, we deserve to honor her achievements and music, but leave that stuff about her health at the door. But what the Grammys are doing, it isn't surprising...not one bit. The media, like always, are gonna chew this up and you mark my word.

That's what I'm afraid of. That's why I hope Aretha's JET spread comes soon. I want to see Aretha slim and well enough to continue to shout out "r-e-s-p-e-c-t" until her work is really done.

Timmy84 said:

silverchild said:

Yeah and a year later, he unexpectedly passed away. I just don't like reading things like this or when a ceremony does things like this. Whether Re Re is trying to cover it up or deny false rumors, everyone deserves their privacy and rest. I think this industry and the media are just eating this up. Sure, we deserve to honor her achievements and music, but leave that stuff about her health at the door. But what the Grammys are doing, it isn't surprising...not one bit. The media, like always, are gonna chew this up and you mark my word.

That's what I'm afraid of. That's why I hope Aretha's JET spread comes soon. I want to see Aretha slim and well enough to continue to shout out "r-e-s-p-e-c-t" until her work is really done.

Argeed. I don't trust anybody until I hear and see Aretha herself singing her classics. Until then, I'm gonna keep her in my prayers and wish nothing but the best from her. The Grammys are doing this totally wrong and they've been doing it wrong. Not surprising, but a sad situation.

silverchild said:

Timmy84 said:

That's what I'm afraid of. That's why I hope Aretha's JET spread comes soon. I want to see Aretha slim and well enough to continue to shout out "r-e-s-p-e-c-t" until her work is really done.

Argeed. I don't trust anybody until I hear and see Aretha herself singing her classics. Until then, I'm gonna keep her in my prayers and wish nothing but the best from her. The Grammys are doing this totally wrong and they've been doing it wrong. Not surprising, but a sad situation.

They do this for sympathy reasons, just like the Luther tribute. If they think a person's gonna die, that's what they do. So how do they know Aretha's going through this problem and she hasn't really said anything about it only saying she's recovering. Even if Aretha agreed to this, I think it actually does her a disservice. Like they're kissing her ass and at the same time saying "well this legend won't have long to live, let's get her a tribute." This is why it's so confusing right now.

Timmy84 said:

silverchild said:

Argeed. I don't trust anybody until I hear and see Aretha herself singing her classics. Until then, I'm gonna keep her in my prayers and wish nothing but the best from her. The Grammys are doing this totally wrong and they've been doing it wrong. Not surprising, but a sad situation.

They do this for sympathy reasons, just like the Luther tribute. If they think a person's gonna die, that's what they do. So how do they know Aretha's going through this problem and she hasn't really said anything about it only saying she's recovering. Even if Aretha agreed to this, I think it actually does her a disservice. Like they're kissing her ass and at the same time saying "well this legend won't have long to live, let's get her a tribute." This is why it's so confusing right now.

Exactly, but still this situation about her health problems in a way is both new and old. I mean we both know that this isn't the first time there have been health problems with Aretha. Yeah they may be doing this for sympathy reasons, but the media and public have been dogging her and this situation about her health for a while, including the recent allegations about cancer. I wish whoever puts these ceremonies together could've just did this in a more correct way, instead of allowing her to be shown in a little 30-second or so video. If she did agree to do this, like you said, it still doesn't do her any service. Yes, it's gonna be weeping and those other moments, but we all know that the media are just gonna exploit this. I mean, look at what happened to Luther. The day after his Grammy wins and telecast appearance with Clive Davis, people were just talking about how he looked and his dialect. He was not well at all and somebody knew this, including Clive. This whole thing is really confusing.

silverchild said:

Timmy84 said:

They do this for sympathy reasons, just like the Luther tribute. If they think a person's gonna die, that's what they do. So how do they know Aretha's going through this problem and she hasn't really said anything about it only saying she's recovering. Even if Aretha agreed to this, I think it actually does her a disservice. Like they're kissing her ass and at the same time saying "well this legend won't have long to live, let's get her a tribute." This is why it's so confusing right now.

Exactly, but still this situation about her health problems in a way is both new and old. I mean we both know that this isn't the first time there have been health problems with Aretha. Yeah they may be doing this for sympathy reasons, but the media and public have been dogging her and this situation about her health for a while, including the recent allegations about cancer. I wish whoever puts these ceremonies together could've just did this in a more correct way, instead of allowing her to be shown in a little 30-second or so video. If she did agree to do this, like you said, it still doesn't do her any service. Yes, it's gonna be weeping and those other moments, but we all know that the media are just gonna exploit this. I mean, look at what happened to Luther. The day after his Grammy wins and telecast appearance with Clive Davis, people were just talking about how he looked and his dialect. He was not well at all and somebody knew this, including Clive. This whole thing is really confusing.

Plus let's not even get on Keith Washington leaking what was supposed to be a private conversation between him and Aretha, Patti mentioning she had pancreatic cancer and is still to this day saying "pray for her" (I saw her say this at a recent concert during King Day), Millie Jackson and the National Enquirer saying Aretha was re-hospitalized for dehydration, and even Aretha's own statements which are a sharp contrast. And the fact that the Grammys are even doing this. It's just real messy. You don't just give a tribute to someone and then show them on video unless that person was not doing as well. Treating her as if she's already dead in a way. I doubt even with Aretha's words that anyone would shut up about her having cancer. I tried to watch that video of her denying such and I still can't find it.

Oh here it is:

Here's another one Wendy did regarding the future biopic:

Oh and here's another one of Wendy dogging her last August about her fall in Brooklyn:

^ I meant the Access Hollywood video.

Apparently Aretha told Shaun Robinson (who is supposedly one of her personal friends, I think Shaun's based in Detroit, not sure) that "no one in family said I had cancer" or something to that effect. RnBAmbassador posted a link to her saying this via the telephone but when I clicked on play, nothing played though there it was in print.

[Edited 2/7/11 17:48pm]

Back to the performers, I doubt anyone they get to sing Aretha's songs won't ever sing it as good as her (DUH) but no one can even dare cover this one (and she often does it live in different ways as she does here):

Right-click on the video and click on "watch on YouTube" but it's a fantastic performance of "Ain't No Way" at the Jamaica World Music Festival in 1982, just two years before a plane scare got Aretha to stop traveling so much anymore.

Timmy84 said:

Back to the performers, I doubt anyone they get to sing Aretha's songs won't ever sing it as good as her (DUH) but no one can even dare cover this one (and she often does it live in different ways as she does here):

Right-click on the video and click on "watch on YouTube" but it's a fantastic performance of "Ain't No Way" at the Jamaica World Music Festival in 1982, just two years before a plane scare got Aretha to stop traveling so much anymore.

Oh of course not. Whitney and Mary J. tried to do it one time, but they didn't even do it justice. Remember Divas '98 or '99 Timmy?

silverchild said:

Timmy84 said:

Back to the performers, I doubt anyone they get to sing Aretha's songs won't ever sing it as good as her (DUH) but no one can even dare cover this one (and she often does it live in different ways as she does here):

Right-click on the video and click on "watch on YouTube" but it's a fantastic performance of "Ain't No Way" at the Jamaica World Music Festival in 1982, just two years before a plane scare got Aretha to stop traveling so much anymore.

Oh of course not. Whitney and Mary J. tried to do it one time, but they didn't even do it justice. Remember Divas '98 or '99 Timmy?

Divas '99 and I agree. Back when I was a teen I thought it was cool but if I look at that performance now I would've been like "oh Lord just shut up!!!" All they were doing was SCREAMING! Good Lord.

Patti's performances of it were just as bad IMHO. My God, I saw her performing the song during Aretha's Kennedy Center honor and while Aretha looked as if she was enjoying it, I turned away and was like "what is that woman doing?" And I'm a fan of Patti but whenever she does "Ain't No Way" I cringed.

Yesssssss, more screaming from Floptina.

Can't wait.