Aretha Franklin ‘gravely ill’ as family and friends gather

Family and friends of Aretha Franklin have gathered to be with the “gravely ill” soul singer at her home in Detroit, according to US media.  

The 76-year-old has been fighting cancer since 2010 and has previously struggled with alcoholism, obesity and a heavy smoking habit.

Revealing the news of her deteriorating condition in his Showbiz 411 column, veteran reporter Roger Friedman said: “Aretha is surrounded by family and people close to her. She will be so missed as a mother, sister, friend, cousin...But her legacy is larger than life. It’s not just that Rolling Stone called her the No. 1 singer of all time, or that she is the Queen of Soul. Long live the Queen.”

The reports follow a hoax last November when a tweet claiming that Franklin had passed away went viral, prompting her to respond with a statement that said: “I’m doing well generally, all test have come back good.

“I’ve lost a lot of weight due to side effects of medicine, it affects your weight…Thanxxxx for your concern.”

However, shortly before her birthday, in March, the Respect singer was forced to cancel two upcoming performances when doctors ordered her to rest. 

Her last performance was in November 2017 at the Elton John AIDS Foundation gala in New York. There, she was hailed as “the greatest singer of all time,” says the London Evening Standard.