Aretha Franklin proved her voice is still divine at 69 as she gave a brief but rousing performance at a swanky birthday party in her honour.
Tony Bennett, Smokey Robinson, music mogul Clive Davis, Bette Midler and Gayle King were among the celebrities on hand to pay tribute to the Queen of Soul on Friday night at a late-night birthday party at a Central Park Hotel.
"It's a fabulous moment," said Franklin, showing off her noticeably thinner frame in a flowing white and gold gown as she sat at a table with several gifts.
Franklin wasn't billed as the evening's entertainment. Instead, she had other acclaimed musicians on hand to perform for her, but after former Temptations frontman Dennis Edwards serenaded her with a couple of riveting songs, she joined him and they both sang The Way We Were.
Tony Bennett, Smokey Robinson, music mogul Clive Davis, Bette Midler and Gayle King were among the celebrities on hand to pay tribute to the Queen of Soul on Friday night at a late-night birthday party at a Central Park Hotel.
"It's a fabulous moment," said Franklin, showing off her noticeably thinner frame in a flowing white and gold gown as she sat at a table with several gifts.
Franklin wasn't billed as the evening's entertainment. Instead, she had other acclaimed musicians on hand to perform for her, but after former Temptations frontman Dennis Edwards serenaded her with a couple of riveting songs, she joined him and they both sang The Way We Were.
