Aretha Franklin has cancelled her scheduled performance on the Vineyard due to undisclosed health reasons. Ms. Franklin was to headline the second annual Martha’s Vineyard Concert Series as a part of her farewell tour.

The popular Grammy Award-winning artist was scheduled to perform at the Tabernacle on Saturday, August 19. MV Concert Series organizers report Ms. Franklin has also cancelled sold-out shows this summer in Chicago, Ill., Chautauqua, N.Y., and Toronto, Canada.

Adam Epstein, CEO of Innovation Arts & Entertainment which produces the Martha’s Vineyard Concert Series, said he had planned to bring Ms. Franklin to the Island the weekend of Grand Illumination Night.

“Who else out there speaks to as many generations and as many styles of music as her? She’s known as the Queen of Soul, but you listen to her music and you feel it, you know she speaks to everybody,” he said. “There was no better artist to play that particular weekend.”

“The audience responded instantly,” Mr. Epstein added. “We stopped advertising in May, we sold 2,000 tickets in the first week.”

Due to short notice and big shoes to fill, the concert series was unable to procure another act for the weekend of August 19.

“Replacing Aretha Franklin...finding someone of that caliber is very, very difficult,” Mr. Epstein said.

All purchased tickets for the Vineyard show have been refunded.