March 24, 2004

Aretha Franklin Hospitalized For Undisclosed Illness

By Nadira A. Hira (MTV.com)

Legendary soul singer Aretha Franklin was hospitalized for an undisclosed illness Saturday and remains in stable condition, according to her publicist.

Franklin's rep offered no estimate of how long the singer might remain in the hospital, the location of which has not been released. There have been no reports in recent years indicating that Franklin has had potentially serious health concerns.

The Queen of Soul, who turns 62 on Thursday, won her 16th Grammy this year, for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for the single "Wonderful," and most recently performed the national anthem at the National Football League's kickoff concert in Washington, D.C., in September.

A Detroit native, Franklin was in the news last year for disputes with her Detroit-area township stemming from an October 2002 incident in which her home burned down.