Aretha Franklin (AP)
NEW YORK – Aretha Franklin commanded R.E.S.P.E.C.T. during a restaurant meal in Manhattan, avoiding a parking ticket and leaving the eatery's owners smitten, the New York Post reported Wednesday.
The Queen of Soul soothed a traffic cop about to ticket one of her cars outside Neely's Barbecue Parlor on the Upper East Side on Monday night.
While at dinner with a group of 10, Franklin spotted the meter maid, who recognized the star.
Instead of dishing out a fine, the charmed officer handed her an envelope to sign.
After the meal, Neely's owners Pat and Gina Neely gave Franklin one of their signed cookbooks -- but the gracious singer already had a copy, so she signed it and returned the book to them as a thank you.
Trending
Who's making headlines in television, music, movies and more from Hollywood to the Heartland.