American soul singer and Grammy award-winner Aretha Franklin has announced her engagement to her long-term friend William "Willie" Wilkerson.
Franklin (69) and Wilkerson hope to marry later this year on a sandy Miami beach with a private party to celebrate afterward aboard a yacht, a spokeswoman for Franklin confirmed last night.
"We're looking at June or July for our date, and no I'm not pregnant, LOL!," Franklin said in a statement.
Franklin was sidelined by a mysterious ailment last year, but overcame her health scare and shed 38kg (85lbs) on the road to better health.
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The legendary singer of 1960s hits like Chain of Fools and Baby I Love You sang at her own 69th birthday party in March.