The “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin is in final negotiations with gospel superstar Karen Clark Sheard to star in her production, ‘Aretha: From These Roots.’
The 68-year-old singer, who was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, revealed during an interview on the nationally syndicated ‘Tom Joyner Morning Show’ that The Clark Sisters member had secured the leading role.
“We’re working and finalizing negotiations on that now,” Franklin announced.
She held extensive uditions for ‘Aretha: From These Roots’ in Detroit back in 2007. Hundreds of people interested playing Franklin showed up.
Following the auditions, rumors that Oscar winners Halle Berry and Jennifer Hudson were in talks to star as Franklin in the biopic began to surface.
Franklin initially spoke of developing both a major motion picture and a musical stage play from her 1999 autobiography; however the recent announcement of Sheard landing a role in the production is the only update with the project.
According to Franklin, Sheard will play the role of Kitty Parham of the renowned Ward Singers.
Franklin and Sheard, both Detroit icons, have also recorded a duet together for the ‘Respect’ singer’s forthcoming R&B album, ‘A Woman Falling Out of Love,’ slated to drop in May.
