Beyonce and Jay-Z pay tribute to Aretha Franklin

Beyonce and Jay- Z started their 'On The Run II Tour' performance at Ford Field by dedicating the show to American singer and songwriter Aretha Franklin, who is reported to be gravely ill at present.

Beyonce said, "We love you and thank you for all the beautiful music."

Franklin and Beyonce were once in a conflict after the 2008 Grammy Awards, where Beyonce had referred to Tina Turner as the 'the Queen'. Franklin who was widely known as 'Queen of Soul' took exception to that. Later, in a written statement she called it "a cheap shot for controversy", but she concluded the statement with "love to Beyonce anyway."

In less than a year, Franklin defended Beyonce when the latter was criticized for lip-syncing the National Anthem at President Barack Obama's first inauguration, reported The Hollywood Reporter.

Earlier, DJ Khaled gave a quick tribute to Franklin during his set, asking the crowd of about 44,000 to send some love to Franklin.

The 76-year-old songwriter has been ill for a long time and had retired from touring because of her deteriorating health. The star has performed only on a limited basis in past few years because of her poor health, with her most recent appearance coming in last November at an Elton John AIDS Foundation event.

The singer has also given a lot of hits like 'Respect', 'Natural Women', and 'I say a little prayer'.