Posted by Adam

Wednesday July 18, 2012

ARETHA Franklin is not a happy lady!

The Queen of Soul has fired off an email to Kathie Lee Gifford after she questioned the star’s suitability as a judge on American Idol.

Aretha recently revealed she’d like to replace one of the departing judges, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, on the popular TV talent competition as producers scramble to find a new line-up.

But Gifford doesn’t think she’s the a good fit.

“If they are looking for a younger demographic, there are a lot of kids out there who actually don’t know who Aretha Franklin is. It’s sad, but they don’t,” Kathie said on the Today show.

Franklin took offense to the comments and she responded by sending a curt message to Gifford and Hoda Kotb.

The email, obtained by CNN, stated, “While I enjoy Kathie Lee and Hoda daily, her assessment is totally wrong! My audience and fans span the age of 8 to 90! And are multi-ethnic, and I am very well known to young adults, tweens and teens. Their parents play my music… She (Gifford) should research me before she speaks about me.”

Franklin also hit back at claims her fear of flying would make it difficult for any potential American Idol judge to travel across the U.S. for the contest’s audition stages.

She added, “I’ve been to California from Detroit four times this year and Florida. I go wherever I choose to go comfortably on my custom bus.”

Tags: aretha franklin, kathie lee gifford