Last night, music’s biggest stars gathered to pay tribute to Aretha Franklin during the CBS special “Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul.” In addition to performances from Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion, Alessia Cara, John Legend, and Fantasia, one of the highlights was a duet between Alicia Keys and SZA. A solo Alicia kicked off the three-song medley with Franklin’s ’70s classic “Spirit in the Dark.” She then introduced SZA, who put her own spin on 1972’s “Day Dreaming,” with Keys adding her vocals and playing piano. They came together for the finale, a cover of 1971’s “You’re All I Need to Get By.” During the special, which was taped last month, Chloe x Halle also honored the Queen of Soul with “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves” and H.E.R. thrilled with her stirring rendition of “I Say a Little Prayer.” Jennifer Hudson, who will star in Franklin’s upcoming biopic, opened the show with “Ain’t No Way,” “Respect,” and “Think.” The star-studded evening capped off with a performance of “Natural Woman” featuring Fantasia, Andra Day, Brandi Carlile, and Alessia Cara.<doc-sep>SZA and Alicia Keys were among the artists who paid tribute to the late Aretha Franklin at a concert aired by CBS on Sunday night. The show, which took place in January, also included performances from Janelle Moane, Jennifer Hudson, Brandi Carlile, Alessia Cara, Chloe x Halle, and Celine Dion. ADVERTISEMENT For their contribution to Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul, SZA and Alicia Keys performed a medley of Franklin's '70s singles "Spirit in the Dark," "Day Dreaming," and "You’re All I Need to Get By." Check out footage via a fan account above. Thumbnail image courtesy of Rich Fury/Getty.<doc-sep>Last night (March 10), CBS aired the Aretha Franklin tribute concert “Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul.” Among the performers was Alicia Keys, who did a three-song medley of “Spirit in the Dark,” “Day Dreaming,” and “You’re All I Need to Get By,” as Variety notes. SZA joined Keys for the latter two covers. Watch their medley below. SZA’s latest album, Ctrl, came out in June 2017. Revisit Pitchfork’s feature interview “‘I’m Literally Still Shook’—SZA Reflects on Her Breakout Year.”<doc-sep>Only the best for the Queen of Soul. Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, and more stars hit the stage to honor the late Aretha Franklin for the ‘Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul’ TV tribute. Some of the most talented musicians performed in honor of Aretha Franklin during the epic TV special, Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul, which aired on March 10. The star-studded concert featured performances by Yolanda Adams, Shirley Caesar, Alessia Cara, Brandi Carlile, Chloe X Halle, Kelly Clarkson, Common, Celine Dion, H.E.R., Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Patti LaBelle, Janelle Monáe, SZA, and BeBe Winans. The special was hosted by Tyler Perry and also included appearances by Angela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance, and more. Motown legend and Grammy Award winner Smokey Robinson paid tribute to his childhood friend during the special. The live concert was taped Jan. 13, 2019, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. “This special will celebrate Aretha Franklin’s numerous accomplishments as an entertainment icon, singer, songwriter, pianist, actress and civil rights activist,” Jack Sussman, Executive Vice President, Specials, Music and Live Events, CBS Entertainment, said in a statement. “Aretha had an incredible effect on humanity and music with her indomitable spirit and grace. We look forward to honoring this music legend with numerous performers who all admire and respect the Queen of Soul.” The tribute special comes less than a year after the Queen of Soul passed away at the age of 76. The legendary singer died of pancreatic cancer. Her funeral featured touching performances by JHud, Ariana Grande, Faith Hill, and more. Over the course of her long and successful career, Aretha won a total of 18 Grammys. She was best known for her songs “Respect,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Chain of Fools,” and so many more.<doc-sep>
Alicia Keys and SZA were among the performers who graced the stage for Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul, a tribute concert for Aretha Franklin, which aired Sunday night on CBS. Filmmaker Tyler Perry hosted the special and it was produced by legendary music executive Clive Davis and television executive Ken Ehrlich. “Aretha was more than the Queen of Soul; she was a national treasure. This unique concert—featuring many of today’s greatest artists—will celebrate Aretha in a spectacular manner befitting her once-in-a-lifetime talent,” Davis said about the tribute concert in December 2018. Keys performed a three-song medley including “Spirit in the Dark,” “Day Dreaming” and “You’re All I Need to Get By.” SZA joined the 15-time Grammy winner to sing the latter two covers. Performance inteira: Alicia Keys e SZA, cantando "Spirit In The Dark", "Day Dreaming" e "You're All I Need To Get By" no Tributo à Aretha Franklin. #GRAMMYsAretha https://t.co/R6Nkww2WFG — Alicia Keys Brasil (@alicia_keysbr) March 11, 2019 Fantasia, H.E.R., John Legend and Jennifer Hudson, who is scheduled to portray Franklin in her biopic, also performed a number of the late singer’s greatest hits. “I sang ‘A Bridge Over Troubled Waters,’ the Simon & Garfunkel classic that Aretha had a way of covering songs and making them her own,” Legend said after his performance. “I was happy to do her version of the cover version. “ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJQ6ZqrAoMw Franklin won 18 Grammys during her more than 50-year career. The music icon passed awa in August 2018 from pancreatic cancer at 76 in her Detroit home. Watch some of the performances and interviews from the tribute below. H.E.R – “I Say a Little Prayer” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fbEv5mObFU Celine Dion Shares Diva Moment with Aretha https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gerEsYYGCz4 Fantasia, Andra Day, Alessia Cara, Brandi Carlile – “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”