EgyptSaidSo.com

I thought the highlight of my career was when PRINCE surprised me in the studio and talked to me on my show for a whole 45 minutes – in person!

But today may have even trumped that.

The Living Soul Legend, Ms. Aretha Franklin, The QUEEN OF SOUL, called me today. We talked about her honorary doctorate degree from Princeton University, her top three most memorable moments in her career, and the status of her biopic!

So who will play Aretha in her movie?!

Congratulations, I hear you’re performing at this year’s Essence Music Festival in New Orleans.

I’m on the night of the 8th. It starts the 5th through the 8th, but I’m on the night of the 8th. I’m gonna perform everything I ever recorded. {laughs} Not quite Egypt, but I am going to sing a lot of it- Think, RESPECT, I Say A Little Prayer, Sparkle, a lot of the stuff from the Sparkle album, Sweet Sixteen…The Freeway. You name it, gonna sing it.

Aretha, I hear you’re celebrating over 40 years in the music industry…

Forty! You know I started when I was about 15.

Now when you look back over the course of your life and just the amazing path that you’ve led in your life, over your career, your personal journey… do you ever just say wow, that’s me, I did that?

You know sometimes it is hard to believe when you look back and God has really brought me a long way Egypt. It is sometimes unbelievable. All of the good good things that have been happening and that have happened over the course of my career, I’m very very grateful and I’m thankful.

What would you say were the top three highlights in your career? There’s been a lot, but when you look back and you say those stick out to me as things I’m just never ever ever gonna forget? That was my legacy… what would be those top 3 moments?

Certainly the birth of my children, and that would cover all, the Grammy Legend and I would say the inauguration of President Obama, and the Congressional Medal- that’s four. So I’ll say those four. And the National Medal of the Arts.

Now a little birdie told me- I don’t know if I’m lowing the lid off of this- that you are working on a new album with Clive Davis.

I am and that album should be out no later than September, early October. This will be album number 30, 40, something like that… maybe 50, I’m not sure.

And Congratulations, she just received a doctorate of music from Princeton University..

I did, I had a wonderful afternoon there. They were very very welcoming and very very gracious people.

Now Ms. Aretha, the only thing left for them to do then is do a book, to do a movie about your life and I understand that that is in the works or something that has been talked about. Are we any closer?

It is in the works Egypt and yes I have a meeting on the 15th.

Is this for casting or just to get things rolling again?

No, this is a new group and what happened with the other group that I was with, and negotiations went on with them for about 3 years and we got to the point of they were adamant about the casting and I was adamant about the casting and so the whole thing finally fell through. But because you’re casting myself and you’re casting my family-I mean I don’t think anyone can do that better than me.

And I know you wanted Halle Berry- is that still something you want- Halle Berry to play you in the movie?

Halle Berry was one of the people we were talking about, Jennifer Hudson and Audra McDonald, who just won the Tony.

Listen to the full interview below:

Be sure to catch Aretha performing at the Essence Music Festival July 8th in New Orleans.