Detroit lawyer tapped to take over Aretha Franklin estate

A new executor has been appointed in hopes of calming the drama surrounding the estate of the late singer Aretha Franklin.

A Detroit lawyer who said he knew Franklin and “idolized her" was appointed as interim manager of her estate Tuesday.

There had been tensions among the late singer's sons concerning the estate.

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A judge accepted the resignation of Franklin's niece, Sabrina Owens, who said she was worn down by family acrimony since confusing handwritten wills were discovered 10 months ago.

ARETHA FRANKLIN’S ESTATE REMAINS AT HEART OF FAMILY DISPUTE

Reginald Turner of the Clark Hill firm was picked to succeed Owens as temporary personal representative or executor. He's in line to become president of the American Bar Association and years ago served on the Detroit school board and the state school board.

“I'll work hard for you,” Turner told Ted White, one of Franklin's four sons, at the conclusion of a hearing in Oakland County Probate Court.

DO I REALLY NEED A WILL?

Franklin died without a formal will in August 2018. Owens, an administrator at the University of Michigan, became personal representative with the approval of the Queen of Soul's sons.

But divisions emerged last spring when Owens said handwritten wills were found in Franklin's home. The latest document from 2014 indicates that Franklin wanted son Kecalf Franklin to run her estate.

An expert said the will is in Franklin's writing, but a decision on its legal status still is months away. Judge Jennifer Callaghan has scheduled hearings for September.

Owens in January said she was resigning, citing a “rift” in the family. Kecalf Franklin's attorneys accused her of mismanaging assets. She denied it.

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The estate reported assets of $17 million at the end of August, including master recordings and publishing rights worth an estimated $10.5 million.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.