plans to kick back and relax for her 70th birthday (March 25), but the celebration last night (March 24) was a fancy event fit for the Queen. Held at NYC’s Helmsley Park Lane Hotel, the affair included dinner, a dance performance and a mini jazz concert featuring Kris Bowers.
According to AP, Franklin was alongside her longtime partner for most of the night. When asked if her guy pal would ever be her hubby, she replied, “We’ll see what happens.”
Although mum on her love life, one thing she is sure about is her future in music.
“I have re-signed with Clive Davis, so I’m recording with Clive again,” she says. “We’re going to sit together and decide what it is we’re going to record.”
After cutting a three-tier lime green birthday cake to the sounds of Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday,” she continued to bask in the celebration. The spotlight was rightfully on the woman of the hour, even as she cracked a few jokes about her age.
“I was wondering, ‘What is it going to be like to be 50?’ I can tell you now it feels like 40.”
Guests included Clive Davis, Al Sharpton, Debra Lee and Diane Sawyer.