AWESOME
She just released
her 38th CD, but
the number that excites Aretha Franklin
is 85. That’s how many
pounds she’s dropped since
last fall, when she underwent a
health scare and surgery (she won’t
disclose details). Franklin, 69, is now
proudly wearing a size 16.
Q: What can you tell us about your
surgery and weight loss? I definitely
did not have grastric bypass, and
would not. The weight loss was gradual; I go to the health spa and eat more
whole foods. I’d lost 30 pounds before
the surgery. My doctor said I’d lose
more naturally afterward, and I did.
Q: Are you still dieting? I’m on maintenance. I like my weight exactly
where it is. It looks healthy; let’s keep
it. I’m on the track and up to a mile
now at least three times weekly.
Q: Have you had to buy a new
wardrobe? Absolutely. Nothing fits,
and I’m so happy! In fact, tomorrow
I have fittings for new gowns.
Q: What has been your proudest
career moment? My happiest
Aretha
Franklin
Queen of Soul
Taking Off
Media
THE METER
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Jane Seymour
The actress, 60,
claims her wrinkles
help her land roles:
“I’m able to play
women who are
normal. I don’t do
Botox or that kind
of thing. As an
actress it’s important to have all the
pieces moving!”
Horse Whisperer
Buck Brannaman
A Gentle Leader
Buck Brannaman is to horses what Cesar Millan is to
dogs, and this summer he shows his soothing skills in
the documentary Buck. In clinics around the country,
he saddles violent studs known to attack cars and
teaches their owners a thing or two about themselves.
“The horse tells me a lot about the person, depending
on whether it’s sure or afraid or aggressive,” says Brannaman, 49, whose hard-drinking dad beat him
relentlessly when he was a child. Horses became his refuge. “Horses don’t have things humans have,
like greed, hate, jealousy,” he says. From his tortured past Brannaman developed human compassion.
“People will call me up [after a clinic] and say, “My life is better because of this.’ ” —Christina Ianzito
CLOCK WISE, FROM TOP CEN TER: ILLUSTRATION B Y PABLO; S TEVE GRANI TZ/ WIRE IMAGES/GE T T Y IMAGES; EVERE T T COLLEC TION; COURTES Y OF IFC FILMS
moments were singing with my
family (sisters Carolyn and Erma
and cousin Brenda). Following
that would be the Grammy Legend
and Lifetime Achievement awards,
National Medal of the Arts, and the
Congressional Medal. And singing the
national anthem for President Obama.
Q: Do you have any plans to retire?
Definitely not. Always semiretire,
never retire. Who wants to just sit
somewhere? I’m a people person.
And I love performing. It’s the way
it is and the way it’s going to be.
Q: In your opinion, what’s the best
part of growing older? I couldn’t tell
you—I don’t ever think about it. I’m
very young at heart. —Janet Kinosian
AGEIS T
Raising Hope
The new Fox series
uses a grandmother’s dementia for
cheap yuks, as
when Maw Maw
(played by Cloris
Leachman) crawls
under a bed to
sneak her grandson’s Halloween
chocolate, smearing it on her face.
