Aretha Franklin Visited by Jesse Jackson, Stevie Wonder: Reports

Aretha Franklin, who was reportedly seriously ill, was visited by singer Stevie Wonder and Jesse Jackson.

Her publicist Gwendolyn Quinn confirmed to People magazine about the development on Aug. 14.

“She is seriously ill and surrounded by family members who appreciate the outpouring of love and support they have received,” Quinn said of the “Respect” singer.

Her former husband, Glynn Turman, also visited Franklin, he continued.

“Aretha Franklin has been the Matriarch of the Franklin family since the passing of all of her siblings,” Quinn told the magazine. “The love she has for her family is above reproach and was evident in the warm smiles she was able to share with her nephew during his very brief visit two weeks ago.”

Reports on Aug. 13 said that she was in a Detroit hospital, and friends and family are with her. But on Aug. 13, Franklin’s nephew Tim Franklin said that she is “resting” at home, and “family is there with her,” People reported.

“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,” wrote Evrod Cassidy, a WDIV reporter, on Twitter. “Spoke with close friend of Aretha Franklin and family. Iconic singer not doing well,” wrote NBC investigative reporter Harry Hairston.

“Still praying,” Cassimy tweeted on Aug. 14.

Franklin had told the station that she had plans to retire after releasing her last album.

“I must tell you, I am retiring this year,” Franklin said in 2017. “This will be my last year,” she added. “I will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert. This is it.”

She won numerous Grammy Awards over her 56-year-long career.

“I feel very, very enriched and satisfied with respect to where my career came from, and where it is now,” Franklin said of her singing career. “I’ll be pretty much satisfied, but I’m not going to go anywhere and just sit down and do nothing. That wouldn’t be good either.”

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Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Franklin moved to Detroit at age 2 and spent most of her life there.

“My roots are there. The church is there. My family is there,” she told the Detroit Free Press several years ago. “I like the camaraderie in Detroit, how we’ll rally behind something that’s really worthy and come to each other’s assistance.”

The stars of NBC’s “This Is Us” offered prayers and well wishes to Franklin after hearing the news about her health. “I am like beside myself about that,” said actress Chrissy Metz of Franklin’s grave health, according to The Associated Press. “She is just, I mean, sheer talent and sheer joy. And like people, some people are like innately just talented and moving and literally change our lives and she is one of those women. And yeah, so we’re definitely sending prayers and loving and healing light. And, you know, it’s sad. It’s terribly sad.”