Aretha Franklin, the electrifying “Queen of Soul,” died in August 2018, closing the curtains on one of the most illustrious careers in American popular music. But in at least one crucial respect, her story is not over.
Five years after Franklin’s death at her home in suburban Detroit, her last wishes remain an open question and the subject of intense debate. The battle over the singer’s estate is now going to trial in probate court, with proceedings set to kick off Monday.
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The singer did not leave behind formal, typewritten instructions for her money and property. Eight months after her death, however, handwritten wills were found hidden in her home — including one inside a spiral notebook crammed under sofa cushions.