Aretha Franklin's first release on Aretha Records expected this summer
Disc includes duets with Faith Hill, Ollie Wilson, Dennis Edwards and Smokie Norful

Franklin to headline Kennedy Center tribute to American music of the 1940s

The Queen still reigns. Soul icon Aretha Franklin is thriving these days and preparing for the June release of her first album on Aretha Records, her own label. Franklin spent time in the studio this winter with producers Troy Taylor, Gordon Chambers and Mike Powell. Plus, Franklin herself took the helm as producer, and is particularly proud of the many notable collaborations featured on the disc. Country/pop star Faith Hill, gospel sensation Smokie Norful and composer Ollie Wilson all make guest appearances. In a special tribute to late legend Ray Charles, former Temptations lead singer Dennis Edwards joins Franklin for "Friends," a song, that, before he passed away, Charles had requested that Franklin sing.

The album's cover art features the photography of famed celebrity photographer Matthew Jordan Smith.

The release of this still-untitled album marks the beginning of an exciting time for Franklin, as she embarks on this latest phase of her extraordinary career. Aretha Records marks the latest in a series of entrepreneurial ventures for Franklin, who opened her own booking agency in 2004.

Franklin's previous album, 2003's So Damn Happy, on Arista, received a royal reception from fans and critics, and her 2003 concert tour, "The Queen is On," sold out venues from coast to coast.

In addition to the new label and album, Franklin will lend her famed vocal stylings to a very special tribute at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC on March 18 at 7:00 p.m. The Queen will headline a gala salute to American popular music of the 1940s being presented by the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Series for Artistic Excellence. An impressive gathering of music's brightest stars will join Franklin, including opera star Harolyn Blackwell, crooner Johnny Mathis and country music great Dwight Yoakam. Hosted by performer Joel Grey, the concert will include Tin Pan Alley classics, gospel, country, and more.

Aretha Franklin's luminous career has spanned more than four decades. She's received countless awards and honors for her contribution to American music, including a Kennedy Center Honor, 16 Grammy awards, a Grammy Legend award, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award, and five American Music Awards. In 1987, she was the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and in 1979, Franklin received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.