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Aretha Franklin's covers album will be released in October

Franklin's album, which will include such songs as 'Rolling In the Deep' and 'At Last,' will be released on Oct. 21. 

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Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Aretha Franklin performs during McDonald's Gospelfest 2013 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
  • By Mesfin Fekadu Associated Press

Aretha Franklin is showing some R-E-S-P-E-C-T to her fellow divas: The Queen of Soul will release an album Oct. 21 covering classic songs from other female singers.

"Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics" will include songs such as Gladys Knight's "Midnight Train to Georgia," Barbra Streisand's "People," and Whitney Houston's "I'm Every Woman."

The most contemporary track is a reworking of Adele's colossal hit "Rolling In the Deep," which is the first single off the album. It is now available digitally and the 72-year-old performed the song on "Late Night with David Letterman" on Sept. 29.

"Great Diva Classics" reunites Franklin with longtime collaborator Clive Davis.

"I mean, it is great," he said in an interview. "For her to do all these songs, it's very exciting."

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Andre 3000 are among the album's producers. Other songs covered by Franklin include the Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On," Alicia Keys' "No One," and Dinah Washington's "Teach Me Tonight." The icon's version of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" will incorporate some of Destiny Child's "Survivor."

The opening track is Etta James' signature song, "At Last," and Franklin closes the 10-track set with Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U."

Franklin has been the recipient of multiple Grammy Awards, including one won in 2008 for her work on the song “Never Gonna Break My Faith,” which was performed with Mary J. Blige, and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement and Legend awards as well as awards for her songs “Respect” and “Chain of Fools,” among others. She was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, the first woman ever to be included. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. She was inducted into the Gospel Music Association Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012.

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