BBC News reports blues legend Etta James is in a California hospital suffering from several health problems, including a blood infection.
Her son, Donto James, revealed that she has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and said, "She’s been in a pretty big battle."
The singer has been in the hospital for a week. Her son revealed that she became sick while undergoing treatment for an addiction to painkillers in a rehabilitation centre.
James is now being treated for several problems, including sepsis, a blood infection that began as a urinary tract infection.
Donto James also revealed that his mother is having speech difficulties but the cause is still unknown.
He added that doctors at Riverside Hospital where James is now expect to release her soon. She will be transferred to a convalescent home.
The singer spent several weeks in hospital in 2007 after suffering complications following abdominal surgery in Los Angeles.
Etta James, best known for her song At Last released in 1961, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.