Aretha Franklin ‘gravely ill’ as family gather at her bedside - reports

Legendary singer Aretha Franklin is believed to be ‘gravely ill’, with family gathering at her bedside in Detroit, a report claims.

According to a Showbizz411 column, friend of the family, Roger Friedman said: “This is exclusive, and heart breaking for me and for the family and friends of the great Aretha Franklin. She is gravely ill in Detroit. The family is asking for prayers and privacy”

The 76-year-old was diagnosed with cancer in 2010, and delivered her most recent performance at the Elton John AIDS Foundation party in New York last November.

She announced her retirement in 2017 with her final single, ‘A Brand New Me’.

Friedman went on to say that she’s currently 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 number 1 singer of all time, or that she is the Queen of Soul. Long live the Queen

In a legendary career spanning more than five decades, the soul superstar, who is best known for hits such as Respect and I Say a Little Prayer, won 18 Grammy awards and became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

She also performed at Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009.