Fox News has apologised for mistakenly including a photo of Patti LaBelle in a tribute to Aretha Franklin.
Hours after the legendary artist's death Thursday morning, the news outlet ran an obituary that had an image featuring Franklin in the foreground and fellow artist LaBelle in the background.
Viewers quickly noticed the gaffe and posted it on social media, sparking widespread mockery of Fox News - many critics calling the network racist, the Daily Mail reports.
"We sincerely apologise to Aretha Franklin's family and friends," Jessica Santostefano, Fox News Media Desk Vice President, said in a statement.
"Our intention was to honour the icon using a secondary image of her performing with Patti LaBelle in the full screen graphic, but the image of Ms Franklin was obscured in that process, which we deeply regret."
The photo of LaBelle was taken when the 74-year-old performed Over The Rainbow during a "Women of Soul: In Performance at the White House" special in 2014.
However, at no time during that performance did LaBelle and Franklin share the stage.
LaBelle posted a tribute to Franklin on Twitter shortly after the news broke, calling her "a rare treasure whose unmatched musical genius helped craft the soundtrack of the lives of so many".
Hundreds of fans, friends and fellow singers expressed their gratitude for the artist's contributions to the music industry, including Diana Ross, Paul McCartney and the Obamas.
Franklin passed away at 9.50am surrounded by family and friends at her home in Detroit where she had been under hospice care, a statement read.
The mother-of-four's family said her oncologist confirmed her cause of death was due to the pancreatic cancer she had been battling for several years.
"In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family," the family said.
"We have been deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from close friends, supporters and fans all around the world. Thank you for your compassion and prayers.
"We have felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time."
Funeral arrangements will be announced in the coming days.
Franklin, who sang with matchless style on such classics as Think, I Say a Little Prayer and her signature song, Respect, announced her retirement from touring last year.
Her last public performance was at Elton John's AIDS Foundation gala in New York last November.
A professional singer by her late teens and a superstar by her mid-20s, Franklin had long ago settled any arguments over who was the greatest popular vocalist of her time.
She recorded hundreds of tracks and had dozens of hits over the span of a half century, including 20 that reached No. 1 on the R&B charts.
Her records sold millions of copies and the music industry couldn't honor her enough. Franklin won 18 Grammy awards and in 1987 she became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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