Aretha Franklin's 'Amazing Grace' Film Finally in Theaters

Franklin's died earlier this year from pancreatic cancer.

Seated portrait of R&B singer Aretha Franklin during her youth. In this photo her left hand is featured prominently with a diamond bracelet on her wrist and engagement ring on her finger.Source: Bettmann/Bettmann

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By Associated Press

November 16, 2018 at 4:20 PM UTC

Updated on

November 17, 2018 at 12:15 AM UTC

New York (AP) -- Three years ago, Alan Elliott was at the Telluride Film Festival, prepared to unveil the holy grail of musical works: A documentary on the making of Aretha Franklin's "Amazing Grace," which had been lost to the archives until Elliott spent decades restoring it so it could finally be seen.

But then, through lawyers, he got word that the Queen of Soul herself was trying to prevent the film from being shown. Elliott's business partner, Tirrell Whittley, recalls the moment as "deflating."