Showbiz411

EXCLUSIVE Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, and all around sport, wanted me to clear up for everyone what happened on Thursday night. Reports had her coming and going from Sarah Jessica Parker’s house and the Obama fundraiser as if she’d stayed five minutes. Quite the contrary. Franklin says to me exclusively: “I arrived at 5pm and left at 7:30pm. “I socialized with Meryl Streep, Michael Kors, Anna Wintour, Courtney Ross of the Ross School in the Hamptons. And, after they arrived, the President and First Lady. We took lots of pictures and had a beautiful chat! I explained to them I had to leave for the Songwriters Hall of Fame and to meet Clive Davis, with I am collaborating on a late summer CD.”

Franklin, who loves beautiful homes, gave a shout out to Sarah Jessica Parker: “Loved the old world charm of her home, and the pantry of her kitchen. I got to watch the executive chefs preparing delightful delicacies for the evening!”

Franklin has a busy summer coming, including the Essence Jazz Festival in New Orleans over July 4th, and two July dates on the west coast. She’s even making a rare appearance at the Hollywood Bowl next month.

Roger Friedman

Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News. Friedman previously wrote the Intelligencer column at New York Magazine, He writes for Parade magazine and has written for Details, Vogue, the New York Times, Post, and Daily News and many other publications. He is the writer and co-producer of a film about R&B Music called “Only the Strong Survive,” which was released by Miramax in 2003 and was a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals.