Legendary singer Aretha Franklin is reportedly fighting for her life

- Legendary American gospel singer, Aretha Franklin, is said to be gravely ill

- According to reports, the singer had been diagnosed with cancer in 2010 and since then, she has been battling a number of other health issues

- Due to her ill health, she cancelled a lot of show and was forced to retire in 2017

America's most celebrated singer and known as the queen of soul music, Aretha Franklin, is gravely ill and reportedly fighting for her life. This is coming several months after her last public performance.

The 76-year-old who is currently surrounded by family and friends in Detroit, was forced to cancel some upcoming performances shortly before her birthday in March due to her health issues.

According to reports, she was diagnosed with cancer in 2010 and since then, has been battling a number of other health issues. Following these unfortunate events, Aretha later revealed she had a tumour removed.

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Aretha Franklin Source: Reuters

Roger Friedman who revealed the news of her current situation on his Showbiz411 website, added that, “The family is asking for prayers and privacy.”

In past few years, all three of Aretha’s brothers and sisters have died of cancer. Her brother and manager Cecil died from lung cancer in 1989, one year after her sister Carolyn passed away from breast cancer. In 2002, her eldest sister Erma died of throat cancer.

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Aretha Franklin Source: Getty

Aretha who has ruled the American music industry ever since the 60s, revealed in a previous interview at the Detroit radio station in February 2017, her plans of retiring from music.

"I must tell you, I’m retiring this year. I feel very, very enriched and satisfied with respect to where my career came from and where it is now.”

Over the course of her five-decade career, Aretha has earned 18 Grammy awards and sold over 75 million records.

Her performances have graced the likes of Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009 and she became the first female performer to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in in 1987.

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Aretha who is a mother of four children, was married twice. She was first married to Theodore 'Ted' White at the age of 19 in 1961. However, the marriage ended after eight years due to domestic violence.

In 1978, she found love again in the arms of Glynn Turman, an actor who had three children from his previous marriage. The couple couple got married but the happy union lasted only four years. They separated after Turman moved to California. The two still remain very close friends.

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Source: Naija.ng