The Queen of Soul will soon have a king.
Aretha Franklin and her "forever friend" William 'Willie' Wilkerson are engaged to be married, her rep tells PEOPLE.
The iconic singer, 69, and Wilkerson are discussing tying the knot on Miami Beach, with an exclusive reception aboard a private yacht.
And for her dress?
"Ms. Franklin is considering Donna Karan, Valentino and the queen of wedding dresses, Vera Wang, to design her gown," says her rep.
Franklin lost 85 pounds last year after a health scare and told PEOPLE, "I feel fabulous."
Adds Franklin herself of the upcoming nuptials: "We're looking at June or July for our date and no, I'm not pregnant, LOL!"
Their love story is sweet! Aretha met Willie almost 27 years ago while he was a firefighter in her hometown of Detroit. He had broken his leg while on the line of duty and when he asked Aretha for an autograph, she signed his cast, ‘Don’t jump to it’. During that time she was enjoying the success of a single by the same name ‘Jump To It’. The two began to develop a great friendship and two years later he snagged the cover of an April 1987 issue of Jet with her. The caption read, ‘Aretha Franklin finds happiness with a new love In her Life’. In the issue, she gushed over Willie while pointing out that their relationship flourished because he was able to distinguish the celebrity from the ‘Natural Woman’ who likes to chill in front of the television and watch soap operas.
Take a walk down memory lane with Aretha and Willie
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