Singer Aretha Franklin gravely ill

Reuters

-

Singer Aretha Franklin is gravely ill, multiple media outlets say. Media outlets around the world are quoting sources close to the 76-year-old singer as saying she is seriously ill and surrounded by her friends and family in her hometown Detroit. The soul music legend last year announced her plans to retire from full-time touring following a September 2017 album release. Known as the "Queen of Soul," Franklin at the time said she planned about a six-month tour to support the upcoming album and then to retire. Franklin began her music career in the late 1950s and has won 18 Grammy Awards.