Aretha Franklin once hired three make-up artists to paint her face for one event
Aretha Franklin once hired three make-up artists to prep her for a single event, according to a longtime pal.
Apparently, the iconic singer brought in top celebrity makeup man Reggie Wells, another artist just to work on her eyes, and âanother lady [who] came from Detroit to do her lipsâ for an appearance at Radio City Music Hall.
Franklinâs former publicist Gwendolyn Quinn revealed the fabulous tale in a tribute to Wells, whose family announced his death on Monday.
And it seems that Wells, who didnât know about the other two until he got to Radio City, wasnât thrilled about the arrangements.
âReggie was DONE and I was in the middle of [the fallout],â she posted in an Instagram tribute to Wells.
â[Wells] wound up finishing everything⊠He knew how to handle divas like that,â Quinn told Page Six. âReggie and I talked and laughed about this almost every day for a week.â
Celebrity makeup artist Reggie Wellsâ family announced his death on Jan. 8. Moses Robinson
Aretha Franklin performed at VH1âs âDivas Liveâ in 2001. REUTERS
Emmy-award-winning Wells was at one time or another the go-to artist for A Listers including Beyonce, Halle Berry, Michelle Obama, Beverly Johnson, Chaka Khan, and Oprah Winfrey, who he worked with for nearly three decades.
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Quinn said she always looked forward to when Franklin would have her hire Wells because âwe would laugh uncontrollably. The stories he shared⊠just unforgettable,â she said.
Wells was Oprah Winfreyâs makeup artist for nearly 30 years. Oprah
Perhaps, Wells would have sympathized with us back in 2016 when she scolded us at her 74th birthday party for writing about her allegedly causing a commotion during a performance of âThe Color Purpleâ on Broadway.
A source told us at the time that Franklin âshowed up late to a performance at the Jacobs Theatre, took up six seats around her, and began holding her phone in the air to snap photos of the show.â
At the party, she told us, âI buy and read Page Six religiously every time I come to New York. When I get up, Iâm reading The Post .â.â. [and that story was] a lot of BS.â The âRespectâ legend instructed us to âhit whoever wrote [that] over the head. Give them a good hit over the head!â
Franklin once scolded Page Six at her 74th birthday party at the Ritz Carlton. WireImage
Franklin, pictured with Clive Davis and Barry Manilow in 2017, died the following year. Getty Images for Tribeca Film Fe
Her lesson in respect is one we continue to cherish.
Franklin last played two shows at Radio City in 2014 as part of a comeback run at 72.
She died in 2018.
Meanwhile, Wells helped blaze a trail for other celebrity makeup artists including Winfreyâs current one, Derrick Rutledge, and Sam Fine, who called him a âfriend, mentor and pioneerâ in an Instagram post.
âYou will be missed my friend,â Fine wrote.
