Music

Aretha Franklin forced to cancel one of her last ever live shows on doctor’s orders

Aretha Franklin forced to cancel one of her last ever live shows
Aretha Franklin has pulled out on doctor’s orders (Picture: Dia Dipasupil/WireImage)

Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin has pulled out of shows on doctor’s orders.

The American legend, famous for tracks including Respect, is said to be ‘extremely disappointed’ to be cancelling live performances.

Aretha, 75, has been removed from the lineup for two shows. The star now won’t perform at the the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey on 25 March, or the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on 28 March; and has been replaced by Rod Stewart.

‘Aretha Franklin has been ordered by her doctor to stay off the road and rest completely for at least the next two months,’ said a member of her team.

‘She is extremely disappointed she cannot perform at this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival as she had expected and hoped to’.

Aretha Franklin forced to cancel one of her last ever live shows
Aretha Franklin cancelled dates last year (Picture: Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

The New Jersey concert would have fallen on the star’s 76th birthday.

The star had previously cancelled another date in August of last year, when she dropped out of headlining the Martha’s Vineyard Concert series at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs, due to an undisclosed medical condition.

Martha’s Vineyard is a remote island off the coast of mainland Massachusetts, near Nantucket.

The singer had previously called time on her legendary career, following one final album release, a collaboration with Stevie Wonder which was released last September.

She said at the time: ‘I must tell you, I am retiring this year. I feel very, very enriched and satisfied with respect to where my career came from and where it is now.’

There are still two further opportunities to see Aretha Franklin live, at the Boch Center Wang Theatre in Boston on 2 June and at the Toronto Jazz Festival on 28 June.

The 1960s and 1970s soul diva released a whole raft of hits including I Say A Little Prayer, Think, and Day Dreaming.

MORE: Jennifer Hudson to star as Aretha Franklin in upcoming biopic

MORE: Aretha Franklin assures fans she’s not dead as rumours of her death swirl on social media

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