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Only a few days after introducing a new temporary president to the college board, Montgomery College hosted the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin, at the newly opened Performing Arts Center at the Takoma Park campus Friday night, a performance with a net cost of $124,000 to the college.

College officials, including Dr. Michael C. Lin, the chairman of the board of trustees, defended the cost of the concert in a telephone interview Friday, explaining that the event had been planned and accounted for in the college's budget well in advance of the board's decision to oust former college President Brian K. Johnson two weeks ago.

"[The concert] was arranged prior to all this," he said. "As a community college, we don't do this sort of thing very often, so this provides an uplifting occasion for people to listen to the queen of soul and all the uplifting music she brings."

The college's board of trustees voted to put Johnson on administrative leave and not renew his contract after about 230 faculty members issued a vote of no-confidence against him. This followed faculty allegations that Johnson had missed important meetings with county and state officials, that he showed a lack of leadership for the college and that he spent lavishly of the college's money on luxury items. Johnson has denied such allegations calling them "lies and half-truths."

College spokeswoman Elizabeth Homan broke down the cost of the concert before the event Friday afternoon, explaining that, after ticket sales, the remaining $124,000 cost was not paid for out of the college's general fund.

"That is non-operating-budget money," she said. "Instead, it's our performing arts budget fund balance, derived from rental fees [previously] raised from our Rockville performing arts facility."

Homan reiterated Lin's assertion that Johnson did not have a part in planning the Aretha Franklin concert. She added that, once the new center at the Silver Spring campus opens for rental and events next fall, it too will raise money for future big-name performances.

As for the concert, Franklin's stardom quickly sold out the 500-seat facility. Mostly college administrators and donors were in attendance for the two-hour review of the diva's classic hits mixed with a few new titles from her upcoming album, "Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love," which she expects to release later this year.

The iconic singer ran through most of her notable songs, including "Respect," "Angel," "Share Your Love with Me," and a jaunty rendition of the 1968 hit "Think," following the star's invitation to the audience to "go back to the Blues Brothers."

The event was a pleasant departure from the somber attitude pervading the college in the wake of Johnson's "no confidence" vote.

"It didn't make a difference what song it was, I was just looking forward to hearing her sing and sing it loud," said Brenda Gilbert, of Rockville, who sat in the front row at the concert with her friend Mary Perkins. "I had tears in my eyes; she took me back, she took me waaaay back!"

Perkins agreed, explaining how neither she nor Gilbert had ever seen Franklin live , and the college's new space was perfect for their experience. The building is about 57,243 square feet and includes seating for 500, including a balcony in the main amphitheatre.

"What an intimate venue, I was just laying back looking right up at her," Perkins said. "Aretha has such a magnetism, I really had to hold myself back from jumping up on stage … I was right there!"