According to a report from Showbiz 411, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, is currently 'gravely ill' and is surrounded by her family and those closest to her.
The family is asking for prayers and privacy for the singing legend.
Franklin, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2010, turned 76 in March. Her last performance was on November 2, 2017 for the Elton John AID Foundation in New York and her final public performance occurred at the Philadelphia’s Mann Center last August.
Franklin has struggled with weight issues, battled alcoholism and was a chain smoker for a large part of her life.
Rolling Stone once named Franklin the number 1 singer of all time. The American singer and songwriter began her career while still a child singing gospel music at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, where her father was a minister.
In 1960, Franklin was signed to Columbia Records where she achieved modest success. It wasn't until she signed with Atlantic Records in 1967 that she achieved commercial success with songs like "Respect," "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," and "Think. By the end of the 1960s, she had become known as the "Queen of Soul."
Photo: Getty Images