Legendary R&B singer Etta James has announced her decision to retire following the release of her latest album.
The 73 year old has been in and out of hospital in recent months undergoing treatment for leukaemia and she was admitted to a California medical centre in May (11) after she was diagnosed with a potentially deadly sepsis problem, caused by a urinary tract infection. James was also diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2009.
She has been out of the spotlight for a number of years and she's now set to mark the end of her 50-year career by releasing her final studio album, The Dreamer, on 25 October (11).
The Grammy Award-winning star and At Last hitmaker will then call it quits and concentrate on her health.
She says, "I wish to thank all my fans who have shown me love and support over all these years. I love you all."