Aretha Franklin to Perform at Verizon Hall, 12/29

The incomparable "Queen of Soul" and eighteen-time Grammy© Award winner Aretha Franklin makes her Kimmel Center debut on Monday, December 29 at 8 p.m. in Verizon Hall in support of her recent album release, Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics (RCA Records, Oct. 21). Franklin will perform a range of greatest hits as well as selections from the new album.

Franklin's 45th album, Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics, highlights her trademark vocal styling of pop, soul and jazz standards within skillfully rearranged "diva" classics, such as: Barbra Streisand's "People," Gladys Knight's "Midnight Train To Georgia," Alicia Keys' "No One," Adele's "Rolling In the Deep," a mash up of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" and Destiny's Child's "I'm A Survivor," and more. Also lauded as a skillful pianist, Franklin tickles the ivories on The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On."

Her new album release also reunited Franklin with Sony Music Entertainment's Chief Creative Officer Clive Davis as co-producer to bring Davis' album concept to fruition. A-List producers Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, André 3000, Harvey Mason, Jr., Terry Hunter, and Eric Kupper added their award-winning production skills.

"I'm very happy with everything on this project," says Franklin. "I'm truly having a lot of fun and I'm bowled over by the response to this album. It's truly very, very, very exciting!"

"Working with Mr. Davis again - well, there's nothing like it," Franklin adds.

Tickets are available from $79 to $225 and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at kimmelcenter.org, at the Kimmel Center box office, Broad & Spruce Streets (open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.).

Rightfully earning the No. 1 spot on Rolling Stone magazine's prestigious "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" list, and No. 9 on 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list, Aretha Franklin has won a total of 18 Grammy© Awards and is one of the best-selling female artists of all time with over 75 million records sold worldwide.

Franklin has performed historic concerts such as "Precious Lord" for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral in 1968. She has been honored as the first female artist into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1987), with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1994) and The Presidential Medal of Freedom (2005), the highest civilian honor in the United States.