‘QUEEN OF SOUL’ ARETHA FRANKLIN GRAVELY ILL
DETROIT— Music legend Aretha Franklin is gravely ill and is reportedly receiving hospice care, friends of the singer said on Monday, as prayers and well wishes poured in for the Grammy-winning “Queen of Soul.”
The 76-year-old Franklin, who influenced generations of female singers with unforgettable hits such as “Respect” (1967), “Natural Woman” (1968) and “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968), is said to be surrounded by her family and friends in Detroit.
1st woman in Hall of Fame
Franklin has cemented her place in American music history with her powerful, bell-clear voice that stretched over four octaves.
In her decadeslong career, her hits spanned the genres, from soul to R&B, gospel and pop.
She was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
In 2010, Rolling Stone magazine put her at the top of its list of the 100 greatest singers of all time, male or female.
Franklin’s declining health was first disclosed on the Showbiz 411 website late on Sunday by Roger Friedman, a reporter and family friend.
Evrod Cassimy, a local television journalist for WDIV who also described himself as a friend of the singer, said he spoke with the legend on Monday morning and she was “with close friends and family, resting.”
Robert Smith, the current pastor at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, where Franklin’s father was the reverend, told Agence France- Presse (AFP) that Franklin’s representatives asked him on Monday to “keep praying for her.”
The legendary singer has lived in Detroit the Motor City, home of Motown, most of her life.
“My prayers are with Aretha Franklin and her family during this difficult time,” tweeted rapper Missy Elliott.
Boy George said: “This is sad news. Aretha Franklin, what a voice.”
“Pray for the Queen, Aretha Franklin, a true warrior and my dear friend,” tweeted civil rights activist Al Sharpton.
Legacy in American music
Franklin, who is widely known by only her first name, in true diva style rose from singing gospel in her father’s church to regularly topping rhythm and blues and pop charts in the 1960s and 1970s.
Beyond “Respect,” her powerful cover of the Otis Redding tune that became her calling card, Franklin had dozens of top 40 singles, according to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Other hits include “Day Dreaming” (1972), “Jump to It” (1982), “Freeway of Love” (1985) and “A Rose Is Still A Rose” (1998).
A 1986 duet with George Michael, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” hit No. 1 in several countries.
Her style influenced singers from pop diva Mariah Carey and the late Whitney Houston, whose mother was a backup singer for Franklin, to Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige and Amy Winehouse.
“You know a force from heaven. You know something that God made. And Aretha is a gift from God,” Rolling Stone said of Franklin in its list of greatest singers of all time.
She won 18 Grammy Awards, including one for lifetime achievement, and sang at the inaugurations of Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
In 2005, Franklin was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award for an American civilian by then President George W. Bush.