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Stevie Wonder Visits Aretha Franklin As ‘Queen of Soul’ Rests in Hospice Care (Exclusive)

Stevie Wonder just visited Aretha Franklin at her Detroit home to check in on her, her longtime publicist Gwendolyn Quinn confirms exclusively to Us Weekly.

Aretha Franklin close to death
Aretha Franklin Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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Franklin’s ex-husband Glynn Turman, who was married to the legendary 76-year-old singer from 1978 to 1984, also stopped by her home on Tuesday, August 14.

Contrary to some reports, Franklin was never in a hospital, a source tells Us, and is responding to visitors and breathing on her own.

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An insider confirmed to Us on Monday, August 13, that the singer was “not doing well,” and that she’s “hanging in there, but recovery is not looking likely.”

Franklin, once named the greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone, has been dealing with undisclosed health issues since 2010. In 2011, she denied reports that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

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After death rumors hounded Franklin in 2017, she exclusively told Us Weekly she was “doing well generally,” saying her recent tests had come back with satisfactory results. “I’ve lost a lot of weight due to side effects of medicine, it affects your weight,” she added in her emailed statement. “Thanxxxx for your concern.”

Franklin became a breakout star in the late 1960s, thanks to hits such as Respect,” “Think,” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and has sold more than 75 million records to date.

 

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