Aretha Franklin in hospital riddle

Soul legend Aretha Franklin has been taken to hospital with an undisclosed illness and is in stable condition, her publicist said in New York today.

The Queen of Soul lives in Detroit but her publicist Gwendolyn Quinn declined to say where the singer was in hospital.

Quinn said she had no further information about Franklin’s illness.

The singer turns 62 on Thursday. Last month, she won a Grammy Award for best traditional R&B vocal performance for Wonderful from her latest CD, So Damn Happy.

Franklin, whose soulful voice has made her one of the world’s most revered singers, is best known for her signature song Respect, though she has had countless other hits including (You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman, Chain of Fools and Freeway of Love.