Aretha Franklin was left “highly insulted” earlier this month after she was asked to become the latest celebrity spokesperson for weight-loss giant Jenny Craig.

The Queen of Soul — who tips the scales at nearly 300 pounds nowadays — signed up with the company two years ago and dropped 25 pounds on a 1,750 calorie-a-day diet. Aretha quit Jenny Craig a few months later, complaining that she was “always starving.”

In the June 2007 issue of Sister 2 Sister Magazine, Aretha, 67, said: “I lost 23 or 24 pounds to begin with, but it’s kind of a strain when you get to 23 or 24 pounds. That’s why I got off of it. It’s a strain because you’re eating the Jenny Craig-type meals, which are very good. But you can only eat them for so long before you want some barbecue ribs or some pigs feet. Once you get off that Jenny Craig thing and you start eating what you’ve been eating, it’s all over.”

Aretha Franklin celebrated her 67th birthday in Detroit on Monday–with a cake decorated like the hat she wore to President Obama’s inauguration in January.

Aretha says the Washington-based museum wants the grey, felt topper for an exhibit on Obama’s inauguration.

The Queen of Soul says she’s considering making the donation.

Luke Song, the Detriot-based hatmaker who made the headwear soul legend Aretha Franklin wore to the inauguration of President Barack Obama, has been inundated with orders for the the grey hat with a Swarovski rhinestone-bordered bow.

We even have a lot of men calling to get it for their wives, mothers and grandmothers,” Luke said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday.

“They want the same hat, but they understand it’s for the queen only. Ninety-nine percent said, ‘That’s fine. I’ll get the next best thing.’”

The Queen of Soul performed “My Country, Tis of Thee” on the West Front of the Capitol at Tuesday’s historic inauguration of President Barack Obama.

What did you think of her performance?

Music legend Aretha Franklin will perform at President-Elect Barack Obama’s inauguration in the Nation’s Capital on January 20, congressional leaders announced Wednesday.

The program line-up will also include a prayer by Pastor Rick Warren and a cello performance by Yo-Yo Ma.

Soul legend Aretha Franklin has been named the “Greatest Singer of All-Time” in a new poll conducted by Rolling Stone Magazine.

The complete list of the “100 Greatest Singers of All-Time” will be published in a special issue of Rolling Stone, which arrives on newsstands this Friday. November 14, 2008.

Music legend Aretha Franklin promoted the release of her first-ever Christmas album on The Early Show on Wednesday.

Aretha Franklin on The View (October 27)

Will the real Queen please stand up? Music legends Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner are at one another’s throats over who has the right to call themselves a “Queen.”

Last week, Tina, who is currently on tour, was asked to comment about the moment when Beyoncé called her “The Queen” at the 2008 Grammys last February, and the backlash Aretha let out in response.

“She’s the queen of soul, and I’m the queen of rock ‘n’ roll…Her ego must be so big to think she was the only one.” Tina said of Aretha. “That’s how queens are!”

And Ms. Aretha wasn’t taking that lying down:

Aretha says Tina was “clearly was talking about herself” in terms of ego.

“I never figured her to resort to tacky press just to sell a few tickets,” says Franklin, who adds she has never met Turner. “I really had put her in a different class — higher than that.”

“No one has been more gracious … to their peers than I have, and I am confident and secure enough to do so, unlike some others..”