Aretha Franklin cancels two concerts over health issues
By Eric Kelsey
Franklin, 71, canceled a May 20 concert with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and a May 26 solo performance at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut.
“It was canceled for medical reasons,” Foxwoods spokeswoman Dale Wolbrink said, declining to say what health issues caused the “Queen of Soul” to pull out of the May 26 show.
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra said Franklin canceled her performance due to a “doctor’s recommendation for treatment during the time frame of May 20 and 26.”
R&B singer Janelle Monae will fill in for Franklin with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the organization said in a statement.
Franklin’s publicist did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Franklin, a towering figure in popular music during the 1960s and 1970s with such hits as “Respect” and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, was forced to cancel a concert tour in 2010 to undergo surgery for an undisclosed health issue.
The singer is still scheduled to perform at two concerts in Canada and one in Michigan in June.
