Aretha Franklin Still Ruffled By "Queen" Tina Turner
The Aretha Franklin-Tina Turner "queen" dispute sparked back in February during the Grammy Awards apparently hasn't died down. Franklin is once again taking exception to remarks on the subject. When Turner was asked about it in a recent "USA Today" interview, she called Aretha the "queen of soul," and herself the "queen of rock," noting, quote, "There were so many kings and queens there that night. Her ego must be so big to think she was the only one." Turner then jokingly added, "That's how queens are!" Franklin has responded with a statement, saying Turner had to have been talking about her own ego, because Tina, quote, "does not have a clue as to who I am," since they've never met.
Aretha also expresses her surprise that Turner, who's currently on tour for the first time in eight years, would, quote, "resort to tacky press just to sell a few tickets," and adds, "I really had put her in a different class -- higher than that." Franklin ends by patting herself on the back, stating, quote, "No one has been more gracious or complimentary to their peers than I have and I am confident and secure enough to do so, unlike some others. I wish Ms. Turner all the best, as I always have."
The issue arose when pop star Beyonce, introducing Turner for a performance at the Grammys, called Tina "the queen." After the ceremony, Franklin issued a statement saying she didn't know, quote, "whose ego I may have bruised," and called it "a cheap shot for controversy." |