RESPECT

I believe Aretha Franklin has a distorted view of how the industry views her. Her persona is not that of a Dianna Ross or even Gladys Knight. She is recognized as the "Queen of Soul" by her fans. But with the majority of music fans that doesn't carry much weight. You have a whole generation that doesn't even know her. I know she does want to land that multi-million dollar gig. In spite of her past success. This would be her biggest job to date. The young people view her as a blast from the past. Plus she has a reputation of being a b^*ch. If they're going to deal with this. They might as well have Mariah Cannon. Aretha can't even make all the auditions. She doesn't like flying.

Patti Labelle has even thrown her hat in the ring. They both should probably try being a mentor first. A guest appearance is enough I think. Every week is too much. To hire Aretha would signal the end is near. Simon left first, then it was Paula. She still gets appearances on various shows. The only one left is Randy. He'll never quit the show. He knows if he leaves the show you'll never see him again. If she wants to know what the future holds, she can ask Randy. He has been there the longest, and gets paid the least. Even the fans don' t value his opinion. They'll bring in a youngster like Miley Cyrus and put her up front. They won't give you any RESPECT.