Aretha Franklin Hit With More Than 30 Lawsuits Over Debt: News Report

Jet, March 8, 1999

Despite earning millions from her long career as the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin has been burdened with debt, according to a report in the Detroit Free Press.

Since 1988, more than 30 lawsuits have been filed against Ms. Franklin, with the total sought just over $1 million, the newspaper reported in a front page story.

Some cases were settled, and some Ms. Franklin paid only after she was taken to court, most recently in January. She occasionally ignored court judgments, forcing creditors to seek liens on homes or assets, according to the Free Press.

Friends of the famed singer say she distrusts outsiders and generally handles her business affairs herself.

"She's a wonderful artist who shouldn't be handling her own business, but she does," said Wayne County Judge Harvey Tennen, who represented her in the 1980s. "People have taken advantage of her her whole life," he added.

He also told the newspaper: "She just doesn't have time for it, and she doesn't realize the kind of bad press she gets from not dealing with things like that. She needs a manager, she needs a lawyer, she needs professionals. But she usually doesn't talk to them until it's too late."

Many claims against her are for $4,000 or less. State and federal officials have also levied $1.2 million in liens, but she paid off nearly all of them, the paper said.

Some of her creditors said they were reluctant to bring lawsuits because they were fans and admired her contributions to music and to Detroit, where she lives in an exclusive suburb.