The 'Tender Lover' hitmaker makes the revelation about the late Queen of Soul during an Instagram Live session to mark the 25th anniversary of the 'Waiting to Exhale' soundtrack.
- May 27, 2020
AceShowbiz - Aretha Franklin once broke off a romance after seeking relationship advice from renowned R&B singer/songwriter Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds.
The "Tender Lover" hitmaker reveals the late Queen of Soul had been unsure about continuing on with an undisclosed partner, until she shared her concerns with Babyface.
Recalling the heart-to-heart during a weekend, May 23-24, Instagram Live session to mark the 25th anniversary of the "Waiting to Exhale" soundtrack, which he wrote and produced, he shared, "Five years ago I performed with Aretha... I sat in her (dressing) room and she told everyone to leave... Then she said, 'You be (sic) writing all these love songs and I want your advice.' "
"She said, 'I'm seeing this gentleman and I'm gonna tell you some of the things he's been doing. And I'm trying to decide if I want to date him or not...' "
The details prompted Babyface to warn Aretha off the mystery suitor, "I said, 'I wouldn't trust this gentleman.' About a month later I got a call and she said, 'You were right, Face. He wasn't the one.' "
The two artists had grown close in the mid-1990s as Aretha, who died in 2018, recorded three tunes written by Babyface, including "It Hurts Like Hell", from the "Waiting to Exhale" movie soundtrack.
Babyface had originally planned to revisit the music of the 1995 film for a special "Mother's Day", May 10, livestream, but postponed the event following the 7 May death of his close friend and legendary record label executive, Andre Harrell.
