Aretha Franklin Vows Never to Retire From Music

Aretha Franklin won't be quitting the music business anytime soon. After battling an undisclosed illness earlier this year and later shedding 85 pounds, the Queen of Soul has revealed that she's got music on her mind in anticipation of the release of her latest album, 'Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love,' in stores today.

The 69-year-old icon explained that she's got many more years of music ahead. "I've considered retiring before, but I'd get so emotional about it. And people were like, 'You're kidding -- you can't.' So there isn't going to be any retirement," she told the Associated Press.

While she most recently shocked the world with her dramatic weight loss, Franklin claims that there are some drawbacks to dropping a few sizes. "Your weight affects your voice," she admitted. "It does mine, anyway. The tone is a little fuller when you're heavier. At the weight I was at before -- what I would call my fighting weight -- I had my best, best, best voice," she explained. "It's still generally the same, but I can hear that little bit of difference."

Though recordings beg to differ, Franklin isn't dwelling on the negative, focusing on an upcoming biopic of her life for which she claims to have finally nabbed "financial and creative control." Her previously favored candidate Halle Berry wasn't up for the task to play the R&B icon, but she's hoping that either Jennifer Hudson or Fantasia will land the role.

"They're both very good singers and very good actresses," said Franklin, revealing that there will be a younger and older Aretha -- perfect for two actresses. "My feeling is that we'll end up with two Arethas, one younger and one older. And you never know who we'll find."

'Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love,' Franklin's 38th studio album, is out May 3.