A Detroit news anchor tweeted this morning that the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, is “gravely ill” and she is asking for prayers.
“I am so saddened to report that the Queen of Soul and my good friend, Aretha Franklin is gravely ill,” Evrod Cassimy of Local 4 WDIV Detroit tweeted Monday, Aug. 13. “I spoke with her family members this morning. She is asking for your prayers at this time. I’ll have more details as I’m allowed to release.”
Cassimy noted in a video report today that WDIV has been asked not to share the nature of her illness or her condition.
Fans learning about the news, including Missy Elliot, have shared their condolences online.
“Thank you for confirming the news about Ms. Franklin. Praying for her and her family.”
“So sorry to hear this…🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽❤️❤️❤️.”
“My prayers are with Aretha Franklin & her family during this difficult time 🙏🏾 LOOK BELOW @ what I tweeted at the top of the year we MUST CELEBRATE the Living Legends while they are here to see it. So many have given us decades of Timeless music…❤️,” Elliot tweeted.
Last year, the 76-year-old vocalists confirmed she’d be retiring after 60 years in the business. She said she wants to spend time with her grandchildren before they went off to college.
“I must tell you, I am retiring this year,” Franklin told WDIV in October. “This will be my last year. I will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert. This is it.”
She also called the retirement bittersweet but noted she’d still perform “some select things, many [once] a month, for six months out of the year.”
Here’s @EvrodCassimy‘s report on The Queen of Soul. pic.twitter.com/UqNyWLnFKT
— Local 4 WDIV Detroit (@Local4News) August 13, 2018
