Soul singer Aretha Franklin to wed

Aretha Franklin (69) and William 'Willie' Wilkerson

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.

The legendary singer of 1960s hits like Chain of Fools  and Baby I Love You  sang at her own 69th birthday party in March.

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