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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Arnelle Hardy, left, and Rocky Twiman, ask people in Lafayette Park across from the White House to join them in sending encouragement to the family of Aretha Franklin who is seriously ill, in Washington today.
Stevie Wonder and several others close to Aretha Franklin paid visits to the legendary songstress amid her battle with serious health problems.
Wonder went to Franklin’s home in Detroit, her publicist told Us Weekly in an article published today, as did the Rev. Jesse Jackson and her former husband Glynn Turman.
News of the visits come a day after multiple outlets reported Franklin wasn’t doing well, with a source telling the Associated Press that Franklin is “seriously ill.”
Later in the day, CNN reported Franklin, 76, was in hospice care at her Michigan home.
Franklin has been forced to cancel several concerts in recent years due to health issues, including three in August 2016 as well as one in June 2017. She missed two scheduled gigs this past March, meanwhile, after her doctor told her to rest for two months.
Franklin announced last year that 2017 would be her final year of touring. Last November, a rep for the singer refuted rumors that the Queen of Soul had died.
Her nephew, Tim Franklin, says family members are with the “Respect” singer at her home, according to a People report published today.
“I saw her a week ago Friday and we talked for about 45 minutes to an hour. My brother was there on Saturday and she was alert, talking, laughing, joking,” he told the magazine. “She’s watching TV, so god forbid she sees all of this ‘Aretha’s dead,’ so I don’t want to dampen her spirits on that.”
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