Singer Etta James is terminally ill

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Etta James' physician said the U.S. recording star is suffering from incurable leukemia and has asked the singer's fans to pray for her.

Best known for her song "At Last," James, 73, has been battling leukemia -- a bone and marrow cancer -- as well as dementia and kidney failure for several years. She is barely able to communicate now, E! News said.

"I am Southern and Christian and would just ask for the prayers of her fans and friends," Dr. Elaine James said Thursday outside a courtroom where a hearing was being conducted into who should oversee the singer's assets, the Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise reported. "They know she's been sick, but not how sick."

Dr. Elaine James -- no relation to the singer -- has worked as a live-in healthcare provider at Etta James' home since March 2010, the newspaper said.

Etta James' son, Donto James, is in court seeking to have a conservator, rather than the singer's husband, Artis Mills, manage her assets.

Elaine James' salary -- first reported as $20,000 per month and recently bumped up to $30,000 -- was an issue in previous court hearings this year, the Press-Enterprise said.