Image caption Aretha Franklin celebrated turning 69 last year

Aretha Franklin has become engaged to her long-term friend William "Willie" Wilkerson.

The 69-year-old soul legend and Grammy award-winner said she was hoping to marry over the summer.

She told AP that she and Mr Wilkerson were considering Miami Beach, Florida, as a possible location, followed by a reception on a private yacht.

Franklin, whose latest album is called Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love, has been married twice before.

"We're looking at June or July for our date, and no, I'm not pregnant, LOL!," she said in a statement.

The singer returned to performing in May last year after being admitted to hospital for an undisclosed ailment.