Ebony: The queen still reigns! With big holiday bash and Michigan Avenue shopping spree, Aretha Fran

SHE is music royalty, an American icon, the Queen. There is no doubt that Aretha Franklin, the legendary soul singer, still reigns as the Queen of Soul. Still, after releasing more than 60 albums. Still, after 47 years in one of the most lucrative yet stressful professions in the world. Still, after younger divas have exploded on the scene, some dissipating like smoke after fireworks. Still, after having shared her love and wisdom and the stage with some of today's hottest female entertainers, from Whitney to Mary J. to Alicia Keys. Despite the ups and downs, the pitfalls and triumphs, the joy and sadness, Aretha is still the Queen.

Over the decades, EBONY has followed Aretha from the time she sang backup with her renowned father, the late Rev. C. L. Franklin, from the release of her first record in 1956, on through her apprenticeship on the chitlin' circuit to theaters, concert halls and now arenas, from hits like "I Never Loved A Man," "Chain of Fools" and "Respect" in the '60s, on through "A Rose is Still a Rose" in the '90s. We've documented her marriages (the first at age 19), the birth of her four sons (the first born when she was just 15), Aretha as a concerned parent and as a caring daughter, and Aretha as Queen Diva.

It is no surprise that her latest recording, So Damn Happy, has been so darn successful. Her fans delight in the joy and exuberance that she expresses on the recording and especially on the title song.

In her hometown Detroit, she hosted a holiday celebration for several hundred people in a beautiful, expansive, lavishly decorated atrium. One after the other, the splendidly attired guests trekked to her table, where they greeted the Queen, sometimes with hugs and kisses. She welcomed scores of Detroit's elite, including Police Chief Ella M. Bully-Cummings, Southfield, Mich., Mayor Brenda Lawrence, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Damon Keith, American Bar Association President Dennis Archer, television's Judge Greg Mathis, world-famous violinist Regina Carter, and Don Barden, the first African-American to own a casino (Fitzgerald's Casino Hotel) in Las Vegas.

Though Aretha did not take to the stage to personally entertain her guests, she offered a full orchestra followed by jazz saxophonist Gerald Albright and R&B singer Betty Wright. Her son Teddy gave the crowd a preview of his upcoming album, and the Aretha Franklin Dancers enthused the party with their energetic hip-hop performance.

On another busy day, "Miss Franklin," as she respectfully is referred to by all those around her, leads an entourage of 15 friends, bodyguards and assistants along Chicago's famed Michigan Avenue shopping mecca. In full-length mink coat, she peruses jewelry in Tiffany & Co., indicating items that interest her and which she later inspects in a private viewing room.

Outside, as light snow begins to fall, she takes time to pose with fans who express delight at their lucky encounter with the Queen. A few blocks away at Elan's, her favorite furrier, she tries on numerous coats before selecting several that will be customized for her. Then she's off to other stores.

Over tea at the ritzy Fairmont Hotel in Chicago, Miss Franklin sits a while to rest and recover from her busy day. She talks about cooking big family meals, about her sons and being a doting grandmother, about the importance of family. She talks about the success of her latest CD ("Yes, I'm so damn happy about the new album"). And how she "absolutely" still loves to perform. "Very much so. I love to sing."

She talks about how she is helping her son Eddie finalize a new album, on which she will perform a duet with him. Then she will embark on her next project, a recording of classical arias. Next year, she'd like to record another gospel album. (Think back to Amazing Grace [1972] and One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism [1987].) She also mentions that she is going to press her agent to bring her more acting projects. (She has performed in several films, including the two successful Blues Brothers movies.) "I want something nice and meaty, something I can sink my teeth into," she says of acting roles.

Yet, Aretha Franklin seldom gets to Hollywood. In fact, she hasn't been on an airplane since 1983, when she had a bad experience on a two-engine craft. She travels by luxury, customized bus.

In regard to her personal life, Queen Aretha is in a reflective mood. She says she recently broke up with her beau, and she is "kind of disenchanted at this point."

What kind of man does Aretha Franklin prefer to spend time with? "Somebody who is into me, whom I'm into, whom I respect and appreciate, whom my children like and respect. Someone warm and giving and caring--and I couldn't be farther away from it. What a bummer! What a bummer!

"I cannot believe that I was this naive and gullible at this point in my life. When you love somebody, it's sometimes kind of hard to see everything that you need to see. It's a lot easier when you're not emotionally involved."

A few days later, she tells cheering fans at a concert that she has made three significant resolutions for 2004: "I'm going to lose weight, get more organized, and I'm going to leave these bull-s--men alone!"

The audience roars.

The Queen has spoken. Long live the Queen.