Willie Wilkerson, ArethaFranklin’s 'forever friend' dies of COVID-19 at 72
Willie Wilkerson and Aretha Franklin pose at the"Motown: The Musical" Pre-Broadway Sneak Preview Celebration at The Liberty Theater Party Space on Sept. 27, 2012 in New York City.
"She was a very large part of his life," his youngest daughter Tequila"Tiki" Wilkerson tells Billboard."They loved each other. They were like best friends. They called each other sweetie. She called him all the time. There’s nothing he wouldn't do for her. They had a special relationship." While the public knowns about Wilkerson because of his relationship with Franklin, he had already led an accomplished life before they met. Raised on Detroit's east side, he was a Vietnam War veteran with the U.S. Marines and returned to spend 20 years as a fire engine operator with the Detroit Fire Department.
With Franklin, Wilkerson was a devoted companion who, in addition to their personal time, organized the sheet music for her orchestras, took care of side-stage and backstage operations such as outfit changes, having tea ready during breaks and serving as a de facto backup bodyguard.
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