Aretha Franklin Sings At Birthday Party

Aretha Franklin proved she was in fine health on Friday night by singing publicly for the first time in months. Franklin made the impromptu performance during her 69th birthday party, joining former Temptations singer Dennis Edwards on stage for a rendition of “The Way We Were.” Among the celebrities in attendance at the event were

Bette Midler, Tony Bennett and Smokey Robinson. Bennett paid tribute to the Queen of Soul by giving a speech in which he described Franklin as “one of a kind.” Franklin was admitted to hospital in December 2010 to have surgery for an undisclosed ailment. She later denied reports that claimed that she had undergone gastric bypass surgery to help control her weight.