For Smokey Robinson, the late Aretha Franklin was more than just the Queen of Soul.
Robinson told a packed venue that Franklin was his longtime neighbour in Detroit, calling the acclaimed singer his B次元官网网址渓ittle sisterB次元官网网址� whom he still misses at the B次元官网网址淎retha! A Grammy Celebration for The Queen of Soul.B次元官网网址� He along with some of musicB次元官网网址檚 well-respected artists such as Alicia Keys, Celine Dion and Patti LaBelle took the stage to help bring FranklinB次元官网网址檚 favourite songs back to life during the Jan. 13 taped tribute concert in Los Angeles.
The tribute will air March 10 on CBS.
B次元官网网址淪he was the girl next door. In fact, she was the girl right around the corner who became a lifelong friend, who became a musical icon,B次元官网网址� said Robinson of Franklin, who last year died at age 76 from pancreatic cancer at her home in Detroit. When they were younger, he said they played hide-and-seek and kick-the-can games outside.
B次元官网网址淏efore Aretha passed away, she was my longest living neighbourhood friend,B次元官网网址� he said.
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Robinson talked about meeting a 6-year-old Franklin for the first time after her family moved from Buffalo, New York, to Detroit. He said their first encounter came at FranklinB次元官网网址檚 home, which he called a B次元官网网址渕ansion.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 went into this little room, peeked in and saw this little 6-year-old girl sitting there playing the piano and singing up a storm. B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址楢mazing Grace,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪he was amazing. I said to myself, B次元官网网址業f she wants to, I know sheB次元官网网址檚 going to be somebody really important in show business.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
Franklin certainly left her imprint on music and the world. She had dozens of hits over the span of half a century and took home 18 Grammy Awards. In 1987, she became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The prolific singer and pianist sang at the dedication of her longtime friend the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.B次元官网网址檚 memorial in 2011. She performed at the inaugurations of President Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter and the funeral for civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks. President George W. Bush awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nationB次元官网网址檚 highest civilian honour, in 2005.
One of FranklinB次元官网网址檚 best-known performances was when she sang B次元官网网址淢y Country B次元官网网址榯is of TheeB次元官网网址� at President Barack ObamaB次元官网网址檚 inauguration in 2009.
Music mogul Clive Davis told the crowd B次元官网网址渢here will never ever be another Aretha FranklinB次元官网网址� at the tribute put on by the Recording Academy. Some of the singerB次元官网网址檚 family members including her grandson who spoke at her funeral were in attendance at the tribute, hosted by filmmaker and actor Tyler Perry.
Robinson called Franklin a B次元官网网址済ame-changing sensationB次元官网网址� who had one of the B次元官网网址済reatest voicesB次元官网网址� of all time.
B次元官网网址淪he was a gifted songwriter, a fantastic musician and a great political activist,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut for me, she was always my little sister who I loved so much. I still love her so much. But sheB次元官网网址檚 gone home now to be with her father. I believe she has been reunited with her entire immediate family.B次元官网网址�
Many others echoed RobinsonB次元官网网址檚 sentiments.
A video montage of Franklin was shown at the showB次元官网网址檚 start as quotes paying homage to her were displayed on the screen from Obama, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett and Willie Nelson. The video also showed the singer in a joyful moment laughing alongside with King.
B次元官网网址淎retha set the bar,B次元官网网址� a quote from Quincy Jones read.
Throughout the night, renditions of FranklinB次元官网网址檚 songs from B次元官网网址淩espectB次元官网网址� to B次元官网网址淚 Say a Little PrayerB次元官网网址� brought people out of their seats.
Jennifer Hudson, who will star in FranklinB次元官网网址檚 biopic, kicked off the tribute with an energetic performance of B次元官网网址淭hinkB次元官网网址� while wearing a stunning white dress. Keys sang while playing the piano, saying she was B次元官网网址渂lessed to be here,B次元官网网址� before she introduced SZA as the two performed a duet of B次元官网网址淒ay Dreaming.B次元官网网址�
Celine Dion received a standing ovation before she performed FranklinB次元官网网址檚 version of B次元官网网址淎 Change is Gonna Come,B次元官网网址� which was originally made by Sam Cooke. Patti LaBelleB次元官网网址檚 voice soared on B次元官网网址淐all MeB次元官网网址� with a house band led by music director Rickey Minor, as many throughout the crowd yelled out B次元官网网址渆ncoreB次元官网网址� after she finished.
Fantasia, Andra Day, Brandi Carlile and Alessia Cara sang B次元官网网址淣atural WomanB次元官网网址� together. Common joined Yolanda Adams who sang B次元官网网址�(To Be) Young, Gifted and BlackB次元官网网址� as the rapper inserted his own politically charged rap lyrics into the 1972 song.
Other performers included Shirley Caesar, Kelly Clarkson, Chloe X Halle, H.E.R., John Legend and BeBe Winans.
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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Jonathan Landrum Jr. on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MrLandrum31
Jonathan Landrum Jr., The Associated Press
