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Aretha Franklin Opens Up About Her Health Scare on 'Wendy Williams'

Queen of Soul describes a pain so intense it brought her to her knees

March 1, 2011 3:25 PM ET
Aretha Franklin Opens Up About Her Health Scare on 'Wendy Williams'
Gregory Shamus/Getty

In an exclusive sit-down interview with Wendy Williams, legendary soul singer Aretha Franklin opens up about the recent health scare that put her in a Detroit-area hospital.

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"I heard it started with a pain in your side," Williams, 46, tells the Queen of Soul in an episode airing Wednesday, March 2 (check your local listings).

"Yes, that was my first inkling that something was wrong, that something wasn't what it should be," Franklin, 68, tells her.

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"The pain was so hard it nearly brought me to my knees," the Queen of Soul continues. "So I said, 'The concerts are over. I have to go find out what is wrong.'"

With her tour now canceled, Franklin appears to be in good spirits -- but that doesn't mean she's willing to share details of her condition.

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"In December we all found out that you were having abdominal surgery," Williams says.

"Hmm," Franklin pauses. "Is that what you heard?"

(After reports surfaced that the singer was suffering from pancreatic cancer, Franklin squashed the rumors in an interview with Access Hollywood in January.)

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