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Mariah Carey & other celebrities send prayers to 'gravely ill' Aretha Franklin
Mariah Carey led the way in paying tribute to Aretha Franklin, who is "gravely ill" as reported by her family members last Sunday night.
Carey tweeted a photo of the 76-year-old diva when she was much younger, saying she was "praying for the 'Queen of Soul'". The singer has been battling cancer in her home in Detroit, surrounded by her closest friends and family. While they are hoping for the best, they are reportedly "preparing to say goodbye" to their beloved Aretha
Source close to Aretha and a longtime friend tells TMZ he was told a week ago, "Prepare yourself, she's dying." The source adds Aretha was down to 86 pounds and her health was failing. The source says 2 weeks ago everyone in Aretha's circle was told "she could go any time."
— TMZ (@TMZ) August 13, 2018
Franklin's last performance was at Elton John's AIDS Foundation gala in New York City last November 2017, where she already looked ill. Now, Daily Mail UK reports that Aretha is down to 86 pounds after her illness has gotten worse.
Praying for the Queen of Soul 🙏🙏 #ArethaFranklin pic.twitter.com/5cfNPrQrq3
— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) August 13, 2018
After Mariah expressed her prayers for the Queen of Soul, other artists followed suit, including rapper-songwriter Missy Elliot, singer-actress Ciara, talk show host Andy Cohen, rapper-actor Jermain Dupri, Fifty Shades franchise author E.L. James, screenwriter-director Mark Frost, sports writer Jemele Hill, and actress Jackee Harry among many others.
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...❤️ https://t.co/VVacLxcMSI
— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) August 13, 2018
Praying for Aretha Franklin and her family right now! ❤️🙏🏽
— Ciara (@ciara) August 13, 2018
Praying for Aretha!!!!!!!
— Andy Cohen (@Andy) August 13, 2018
All my prayers are with #ArethaFranklin and her family 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
— Jermaine Dupri (@jermainedupri) August 13, 2018
It was just last year when the iconic singer announced her retirement, saying she would only be performing at select events.
"I must tell you I am retiring this year. This will be my last year. I will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert. This is it."
Just read the reports about Aretha Franklin. Reminds me of that time Re-Re blessed the White House with my favorite song of hers #GetWellQueen https://t.co/Em1anRFcO3
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) August 13, 2018
Prayers going up for the Queen of Soul tonight. Music just wouldn’t be same if not for Aretha Franklin. pic.twitter.com/oHHO5Kvfah
— Jackée Harry (@JackeeHarry) August 13, 2018
While she recently released an album last September, she made sure to go on one last tour which included only a select number of cities. Aretha spent 56 long years as a singer and songwriter, which is why she remains well-loved. Now that she has fallen sick, many are expressing their sadness and sympathies to those whom Aretha touched, urging everyone to stay strong despite the terrible news.
BREAKING NEWS: I am so saddened to report that the Queen of Soul and my good friend, Aretha Franklin is gravely ill. 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.
— Evrod Cassimy (@EvrodCassimy) August 13, 2018
Aretha Franklin Reportedly Gravely Ill https://t.co/0zprD5gnXo
— TMZ (@TMZ) August 13, 2018
Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1942. Her father was a pastor and civil rights activist named C.L. Franklin, who moved from Memphis to Detroit when Aretha was just 2, which is why the singer continues to stay in Detroit up until today. It was there that she honed her skills, and eventually became the holder of the third-most Grammy Awards for any female artist in history.
