Fears for the Queen of Soul: Aretha ‘gravely ill and asking for prayers’
ARETHA Franklin is gravely ill and ‘asking for your prayers’, friends said last night.
The 76-year-old American singer, known as the Queen of Soul, was understood to be in a Detroit hospital and surrounded by her family.
Her hits include 1967’s Respect and 1968’s I Say A Little Prayer. She was the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The twice-married mother of four was diagnosed with an unspecified illness in 2010, reported to be pancreatic cancer.
Her friend Evrod Cassimy wrote online yesterday: ‘I am so saddened to report that the Queen of Soul and my good friend Aretha Franklin is gravely ill. I spoke with her family members this morning. She is asking for your prayers at this time.’
American journalist Roland Martin shared a picture of himself with Miss Franklin at her birthday in 2016 and wrote: ‘Many of you are asking me to confirm the health status of Aretha Franklin. Folks, I’ve known for several months.
‘The Queen is surrounded by loved ones. That’s all I will say for now. Please keep her, the family and her longtime support staff in your prayers.’ Her final public performance was in Philadelphia last August, although she performed privately in November at the Elton John Aids Foundation in New York.
In her lengthy career Miss Franklin won an astonishing 18 Grammy awards, including one for lifetime achievement.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, she was only 12 when she gave birth to her first child. She had another at 14 and suffered an abusive marriage at the age of 19.
But having started singing at her father’s Baptist church, she went on to sell millions of records as one of the most successful female artists of all time.
Other hits included 1972’s Day Dreaming and 1987’s I Knew You Were Waiting For Me, a duet with the late George Michael.
In 2005 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest award for an American civilian – by then President George W Bush. And in January 2009 she sang at Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration.
A Hollywood movie about her rise to stardom is currently in production, starring Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson.
‘Surrounded by loved ones’