During a celebration for her 70th birthday on Saturday, Aretha Franklin announced she’s working on a new album with one of her musical mentors, Clive Davis. Davis helped Aretha orchestrate her during a successful 1980s run will be working on new music.
Next month, Franklin and Davis will sit together and decide what they are going to record. Franklin’s birthday celebration included a sit-down dinner, a dance performance and a mini-concert that featured up and coming jazz pianist Kris Bowers. Also in the house were Diane Sawyer, Rev. Al Sharpton and Willie Wilkerson, Franklin’s longtime companion. The party also featured a three-tier lime-green birthday cake and the crowd serenaded Aretha with a Stevie Wonder version of “Happy Birthday.”
