Beyoncé dedicated her Detroit show with Jay-Z on Monday night to Aretha Franklin, who is said to be gravely ill.
The husband and wife duo were performing at Ford Field in the Queen of Soul’s hometown as part of their On the Run II tour when, early in the show, Beyoncé said of Franklin, "We love you," and added a thank you for "the beautiful music", drawing a huge response from the 40,000-strong audience.
Before the show began, a set by DJ Khaled included Franklin’s song Respect, the Detroit Free Press has reported.
Ford Field is located very close to Aretha Franklin Way, the Detroit street named after Franklin last summer.
According to reports, the 76-year-old singer is seriously ill and is under the watch of family and doctors at her home in Detroit's Riverfront Towers.
However, her nephew Tim Franklin told People magazine that she is "alert, laughing, teasing, able to recognize people".
