Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin Hospitalized
By Sarah Hall
The natural woman isn’t feeling her best.
Soul queen Aretha Franklin was hospitalized Saturday in Detroit for an undisclosed health problem.
The “Respect” singer remained in the hospital in stable condition Monday, according to her publicist Gwendolyn Quinn. No further details of Franklin’s ailment were made available, and it was not clear how long she would be bedridden.
Franklin, who turns 62 on Thursday, has been plagued in the past by rumors of an unhealthy lifestyle.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer claims to have quit smoking in 1991 and has denied rumors of alcoholism.
In 2001, she sued Star magazine for $50 million after a story alleged that her heavy drinking habits had caused her to bow out of several concert appearances.
She called the article “trashy and grossly untrue,” and insisted she had “canceled one or two appearances out of 50 or more…for legitimate reasons.”
Franklin has made no secret of her battle with her weight, telling Vanity Fair last November that it’s the one thing she would change about herself.
“I’m working on it,” she said. “I will return!”
The R&B songstress called it quits on the concert circuit last year, ending her on-the-road career with the Aretha Sings Her Musical History Tour.
Last month, the Queen of Soul took home a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Wonderful,” from her latest CD So Damn Happy.
E!Online