Aretha Franklin Health Crisis: Calling It Quits

Aretha Franklin has finally gone public with her heartbreaking decision to give up live concerts — as insiders claim she's fighting for her life! The legendary diva announced that she'd be ending her career at the age of 74, with plans to record a farewell album with Stevie Wonder. “This will be my last year," said Aretha. "I will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert!" Aretha added that she wants to spent more time with her family, while avoiding her health crisis uncovered by The National ENQUIRER!

Sources told The ENQUIRER in 2016 that Aretha's voice was being ravaged by a lung condition that could silence her legendary voice forever! “Her lung damage has caught up with her,” declared a longtime friend. “It’s very bad. Aretha may never sing again! And, even if she does, she no longer has the power to belt the songs out like she used to.”

The ENQUIRER also had the scoop when Aretha confessed to a secret cancer crisis during a Boston concert in Aug. 2016! "She was performing 'Bridge Over Troubled Water,'" said an eyewitness, "and went into a monologue about how she recently needed a bridge herself while dealing with cancer. She talked about turning to God for help, and how she shouted 'Glory hallelujah!' after being told that she was cancer-free!"

Aretha had revealed that she was forced to cancel concerts “due to doctors’ orders” that same year — after chronic breathing problems and her whopping waistline also contributed to putting the 5'5" songbird on the sidelines. She had already began to cut back on concert commitments, with only three dates scheduled for 2017.

“It appears she looks ready to die!” said Dr. Gabe Mirkin, who hasn’t treated the diva. A fitness, health and nutrition expert, Mirkin believes the singer may have been suffering from chronic bronchitis for many years, and now has emphysema. “The odds are overwhelming that her current disability and cancellation of concerts are caused by permanent lung damage from smoking heavily,” he told The ENQUIRER.

Also, Dr. Mirken noted, the yo-yo dieter is “massively overweight” and has been diagnosed with diabetes. Aretha reportedly weighed more than 300 pounds before undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer in 2010. She lost 85 pounds for the surgery, and boasted in 2011 she was “down to a rockin’ size 18” — but regained the weight “at an alarming pace,” the insider said.