Singer Aretha Franklin in critical condition

"Respect" fame singer Aretha Franklin is believed to be 'gravely ill, with the music icons family gathering at her bedside.

In his Showbiz 411 column, entertainment reporter Roger Friedman said: "Aretha is surrounded by family and people close to her. She will be so missed as a mother, sister, friend, cousin."

The 76-year-old singer was diagnosed with cancer in 2010, and delivered her most recent performance at the Elton John AIDS Foundation party in New York last November.

"But her legacy is larger than life. It's not just that Rolling Stones called her the number 1 singer of all time, or that she is the Queen of Soul. Long live the Queen," added Friedman.

Franklin has won 17 Grammy awards, as well as three special recognitions from the academy, and even achieved a Golden Globe award for "Never gonna break my faith".