There are a lot of birthdays on March 25th including Elton John. Happy birthday!

But the one I observe as a national holiday is Aretha Franklin, born this day in 1942. She’d be 82 today. Aretha passed in August 2018.

I spent the evening with Aretha at her penultimate show at the Mann Center in Philadelphia in late summer 2017. She did one more show for Elton John’s AIDS Foundation in November, and that was it.

A movie about Aretha was a bust and so was a miniseries. They didn’t capture her amazing sense of humor and wit. She was so smart about music, politics, civil rights. We talked about a lot of things. She also loved to indulge herself with shopping sprees, fancy dinners, and theater nights. She lived on her own clock and schedule, but who could blame her? She was Aretha Franklin! She knew it, too. Her talent was singular and monumental.

In heaven today, Aretha’s having a grand party — she loved birthday parties. The Temptations and the Four Tops are performing. Mary Wilson is at the main table with Aretha’s sister, Irma and Carolyn. Aretha’s love, Willie Wilkerson, is sitting beside her.

Happy birthday, Aretha!

Katherine Jackson, Michael’s 93 year old mother, has been in the news lately. She’s been trying to stop Michael’s estate from selling a half ownership in his MJJ Music for $600 million d to Sony.

Having lost the case, she wants to fund an appeal and have the estate pay her lgal bills, according to reports. The Estate refuses. Meantime, the sale is going through.

This weekend it was announced that her only ally in the case, grandson Prince Michael II aka Blanket or Biji, was no longer on her side. Michael’s two other kids are out of it, as well.

So what’s going on? Katherine Jackson’s name may be on the papers, but she’s not actually trying to stop the sale of her own volition. Sources tell me she’s being “encouraged” by her eldest daughter, Rebbie, and son, Randy. Since none of Michael’s siblings are heirs to the estate, when their mother dies the siblings are out of luck for money.

“Katherine wants to leave her kids money,” says a source. “But she doesn’t have any.” Indeed, the estate pays all her other expenses, including use of a grand estate in Calabasas, California. Rebbie — whose husband died several years ago — lives with her full time and enjoys those benefits. Randy is said to be working for sister, Janet, but has always lurked in the background.

Not all the Jackson siblings are involved in this mess. Jermaine, for example, is remaining silent. His son, Jafaar, is starring as Michael in the new biopic, so he’s not going to rock the boat. Jermaine also remains out of the country, I’m told. Jackie Jackson joined the estate some time ago. Janet has her own money, obviously. Tito Jackson is said to be spending his time in Oklahoma pursuing business interests.

Michael — who died in 2009 –cdid not want his brothers and sisters to get any part of his estate, which is now worth hundreds of millions. The Estate — lawyer John Branca and record executive John McClain — have turned what was a bankrupt business at Michael’s death into a huge money making venture, with the film, a hit Broadway show, a Las Vegas show, and increased sales of records.

The Sony deal — which means MJJ Publishing is valued at $1.2 billion — is not the Beatles catalog. It consists of songs Michael wrote, and others that he bought over the years by artists like Sly & the Family Stone as well as hits written or performed by Jerry Lee Lewis, Jackie Wilson, Curtis Mayfield, Ray Charles, Percy Sledge, Dion and others.

What will happen? The deal is going through, Michael’s heirs — his children — will benefit. His siblings will not. Are there more lawsuits in the future? Without a doubt.

I have nothing but admiration for Pattie Boyd Harrison Clapton.

On Thursday at an auction at Christie’s in London she realized over $3 million for her collection of rock and roll memorabilia.

Chief item was the original painting that was used for the cover of Derek and the Dominos’ “Layla and Assorted Love Songs” album. La Jeune Fille au Bouquet, circa 1950-55, painted by Emile Théodore Frandsen de Schomberg, sold for $1.976 million.

Eric Clapton bought the painting from the artist’s son in 1970, a year after he died. In the late 70s, Clapton gave it to George Harrison, possibly in exchange for Pattie, who divorced Harrison for Clapton. Then a decade later, Harrison gave the painting to Pattie. Did he know how much it would be worth? I’ll bet he did. And he probably didn’t want it, since “Layla” was all about Boyd while she and Clapton were having their affair.

The rest of the auction was all personal items involving Boyd’s two ex husbands and the Beatles including jewelry and correspondence. A telegram from Eric to Pattie in 1970 — when she was married to George — reads “DOES YOUR SILENCE MEAN BEGONE?” It sold for $5,000. (Obviously, her silence did not mean that. It meant, All things must pass.)

We learn from Eric’s letters and cards that he called his wife “Nelly” or “Nell.” There was plenty of signed correspondence, even a Clapton sculpture that sold for nearly $10,000. Pattie just turned 80 years old, so it was the right time to cash out. She represents a generation of rock legend wives and girlfriends who, if they were smart enough to keep all their gifts and minutiae, have big pay days coming for being muses without credit.

PS Everything worked out for George Harrison. He married Olivia Trinidad in 1978, had a son Dhani, and they have tended his legacy with the utmost respect. Pattie has been married to her partner, Rod Weston, since 2015. They’ve been together since 1991. Clapton has been married for 22 years. He has four daughters.