Aretha Franklin Canceled Performances Spark Health Concerns

Aretha Franklin cancels.  Aretha Franklin, the queen of soul, announced she has cancelled performances scheduled for next week in Chicago and Connecticut due to “treatment”. The singer has raised concerns that her health is failing.. Franklin almost never cancels. Franklin famously missed Whitney Houston’s funeral to perform a concert..

A cut-and-paste job message created by concert promoters appeared on her Facebook page:

Due to her doctor’s recommendation for treatment during the time frame of May 20 & 26, Ms. Aretha Franklin has regretfully withdrawn from her scheduled performances at Foxwoods Resort & Casino and with Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) on Monday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m. celebrating the 24th annual Corporate Night.

Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Janelle Monáe has graciously agreed to perform for this special performance. Monáe’s popularity has skyrocketed since her 2010 album debut with The ArchAndroid. Her success has garnered her several global appearances and collaborations, including the recent hit “We Are Young” with the Grammy Award-winning band Fun. Monáe will release a new album this fall entitled; The Electric Lady. She was also recently signed as the newest CoverGirl spokesmodel.

For this performance Monáe showcases her unique talent for fusing R&B with pop and soul all while embracing expansive and vibrant orchestrations through some of her most popular songs. This program will be debuted with the San Francisco Symphony on Thursday, May 16, 2013.

The League of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association celebrates its 24th annual Corporate Night, which pays special tribute to Chicago’s business community each year with a one-night-only performance that pairs musicians from the CSO with some of today’s most popular artists. Proceeds from this important fundraising event benefit the CSO’s general operations and nationally recognized community engagement and music education programs.

Corporations can participate as sponsors or purchase tables for the evening, which includes an exclusive pre-concert dinner and prime seats for the special concert with Janelle Monáe. Sponsorships start at $25,000 and table packages range from $800 to $16,000. Notable corporate supporters to the event to date are Bank of America, ITW, United Airlines, PWC, Exelon, Northern Trust, Aon, Deloitte, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Sidley Austin LLP, Nicor Gas, KPMG, and Ariel Investments. Corporations wishing to participate are asked to call Corporate Development at 312-294-3153

Concert-only tickets are available to the public ($75 to $175); concertgoers can also purchase tickets for an exclusive post-concert party with food, drinks and live music for $100. Tickets previously purchased will be honored for this performance. Tickets may be purchased by calling the CSO Box Office at 312-294-3000 or at www.cso.org.