Stevie Wonder and Jesse Jackson are among those to visit the seriously ill soul singer Aretha Franklin, who is close to the end of her life and receiving hospice care at home, according to reports this week.
Her nephew Tim Franklin said at the weekend she was “alert, talking, laughing, joking” and that relatives were “trying to keep her spirits up and go from there … We believe she’ll pull through it, she believes she will pull through it, and that’s the important thing.”
Visitors to the singer’s Detroit home on Tuesday included her ex-husband Glynn Turman and Wonder. Franklin recorded a version of Wonder’s song Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do) in 1973. Jackson is expected to visit her on Wednesday.
News of Franklin’s ailing health has prompted a wave of support, with Bill Clinton – at whose 1993 inauguration gala Franklin performed – encouraging his Twitter followers to “lift her up by listening and sharing her songs that have meant the most to you”.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z dedicated their concert in Detroit on Monday to her.
