As we continue to mourn the loss of our beloved Aretha Franklin, we are also celebrating her life and legacy as a soul icon, a mother, and a devoted partner to her love, Willie Wilkerson. The two of them never married, but were in a relationship for 30 years. Until now, not much was known about Willie, nor why they never decided to tie the knot, but we’ve now found out quite a few interesting tidbits of info about our man, Willie, and why Aretha never said “I do” to him. Below are a few fun facts about the brotha, enjoy…
He Was A Huge Fan First
Aretha met Willie Wilkerson, a retired firefighter, during her autograph signing in her hometown of Detroit, MI in the 80’s:
Via Heavy: Wilkerson asked Franklin to sign the cast on his broken leg, and the two got to talking. They exchanged information and ended up become great friends. It didn’t take long for their friendship to progress, however. Franklin referred to her and Wilkerson as a “a fiery match” and said that they were “very compatible.”
Aretha Explained Why She Called Off Engagement
In 2012, Willie and Aretha already had several decades of dating each other under their belts, so they’d originally felt that it was about that time for them to jump the broom together.
People Magazine reported, in 2012, that a rep for Aretha had confirmed the lovebirds were planning a wedding
and that Aretha had finally accepted Willie’s marriage proposal. Shorty after that confirmation, Aretha also stated, to People directly, that they were well on there way with the wedding preparations:
“We’re looking at June or July for our date and no, I’m not pregnant, LOL,” Aretha jokingly stated.
Everything seemed blissful and according to what Aretha’s rep also told the publication, Re-Re already had plans on a few designers she was gonna consult with, regarding the making of her wedding gown and the whole sha-bang. She’d narrowed her list down to designers, Donna Karan, Valentino, and Vera Wang.
Essence Magazine also reported at that time, that Aretha and Willie were planning on getting married in Miami. Afterwards, the couple reportedly planned to get their party on all night long, like Lionel Richie, with family and friends “aboard a private yacht.”
In spite of all of the excitement surrounding their wedding plans, just a few weeks after their public announcement, everything came to a screeching halt, when they suddenly called off the wedding. Aretha gave a public statement, explaining why they didn’t go through with the plans. Even though by 2012, they’d been dating for well over two decades, Aretha felt they were still “moving too fast.” Here’s her statement:
“Will and I have decided we were moving a little too fast, and there were a number of things that had not been thought through thoroughly. There will be no wedding at this time. We will not comment on it any further because of the very personal and sensitive nature of it. We appreciate all of the many well wishes from friends.”
Soon after the wedding cancellation, all sorts of rumors were swirling through the industry about their relationship, but Queen ReRe and Willie proved their union to be rock solid and were together until her dying day.
Not The Their 1st Time
Speaking of wedding cancellations however, word on the Old School curb is that this was not their first dance at that disco. According to New York Daily News, Willie and Aretha were engaged in 1987, but they called that one off too.
Even though they never made that march down the aisle, one thing is certain: they loved each other to the core. Rest well Queen of Soul.
