Aretha Franklin wants to move to Detroit and open a nightclub.

Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

The 75-year-old soul icon - who recently announced she will be retiring this year - is planning to leave her home in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, to move the short distance to Detroit, where she will open a nightspot and occasionally perform at the venue.

The 'Respect' hitmaker said: "I'm interested in doing a small nightclub downtown, and he [estate agent Bruce Schwartz] and I have been talking about this for a couple of years now and I'm just letting him know I'm still interested.

"In my retirement plan, I'd like to have a small club here in Detroit."

Aretha has already come up with a name for the club and is planning to invite other artists to perform when she is not taking to the stage.

Speaking to USA Today, she added: "It would be Aretha's!

"From time to time I would sing, and of course, I would have special artists come in to perform for the city that people in Detroit like - Detroit favourites."

Aretha will retire when her final album, a collaboration with Stevie Wonder, is released this September following a 57-year career.

She previously said: "I will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert. This is it."

Last month, the star had to pull out on an upcoming concert in Massachusetts due to ill health.

The show was due to take place on Saturday (19.08.17) at the second annual Martha's Vineyard Concert Series at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs.

It is the fourth show Aretha has pulled out of due to unknown health issues, with the singer also axing appearances in Chicago and Toronto.

In 2010, she was forced to cancel a series of concerts to undergo emergency abdominal surgery.


Tagged in