Yolanda Adams will be among a group of singers who will perform in tribute to Aretha Franklin this Sunday at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, CA.
Joining her will be Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera, Martina McBride and Florence Welch. They will be singing some of Aretha’s classic tunes. It is unclear whether the 18-time Grammy winner & Queen of Soul will be in attendance.
The show takes place this Sunday, February 13th, at the Staples Center, and will be broadcast live on CBS from 8-11:30pm ET/PT.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: As of Thursday, April 8th, Jawn Murray reports that Aretha Franklin has clarified-- Karen Clark Sheard is not slated to star as Aretha; she will have another role].
According to a recent post by Jawn Murray at AOL BV Buzz, gospel legend Karen Clark Sheard may be steps away from solidifying her deal to star as her Aretha Franklin in the film, Aretha: From These Roots.
If selected, it will mean that Karen Clark Sheard was selected by the Queen Of Soul over other actresses rumored to be considered for the role, including Jennifer Hudson and Halle Berry.
As many know, Aretha Franklin is Karen Clark Sheard’s favorite vocalist… EVER. This should be interesting… and the soundtrack??? A must-have.
Check your local PBS listings to catch In Performance At The White House: A Celebration Of Music From The Civil Rights MovementTONIGHT (in most cities, at 8pm ET/7pm CST).
Yolanda Adams was among those fortunate enough to sing before President Obama in the Civil Rights concert celebration. She performed Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” to an audience in the White House’s East Room. PBS has already posted some of the performances on YouTube.
Personally, I’m not thrilled with the song choice– I generally think of this song as one intended for a gravely male voice, not a pure, clean and soaring voice like Yolanda’s. But after just a short time, she definitely captivated the audience with her sound and her message. Something about the tune even made Mr. President snuggle up with the Mrs. about 1 minute in (I just LOVE them!).
Other performances came from Jennifer Hudson & Smokey Robinson (“People Get Ready” – click here to watch it), the Blind Boys Of Alabama, Bob Dylan, Seal, Natalie Cole and more.
It looks like the same house band that played last year when Mary Mary performed at The White House in tribute to Stevie Wonder (which would also be the house band of American Idol). Musical direction is coming from Rickey Minor and I think I spotted Teddy Campbell (husband of Tina Campbell, from Mary Mary) on the drums. So, you see… all things come back to Mary Mary. LOL
Okay, tune in tonight to catch the full performance. I’m just thrilled that President Obama hosts so many great concerts and parties… wonder why he didn’t invite me… must’ve gotten lost in the mail. It’s cool.
According to reports from entertainment journalist Jawn Murray, Hudson gave birth to a healthy baby boy late Monday evening, and named him David Daniel Otunga, Jr. after his father (and Hudson’s fiancé), David Otunga.
In other news…
Jennifer Hudson’s gospel track, “Jesus Promised Me A Home Over There,” will be featured on the upcoming Gotta Have Gospel 7 compilation album, due in stores on September 8, 2009. The traditional song was arranged and produced by mega-producer Warryn “Baby Dubb” Campbell.
Word has it that Jennifer Hudson is preparing to record a gospel album. Several folks are citing MediaTakeOut.com as the source of this info– apparently someone at her label, J Records, has leaked that she’ll start recording this Spring.
Well, well, well… Can’t say I’m surprised. I dunno if it’s a wise business move for her, cuz she’s at the top of her game in R&B and I don’t know if all of her fans will be feelin’ Jesus like that.
BUT, if she’s sincerely doing it to talk about Jesus (which I believe she very well may be, especially in light of the things she’s been going through lately), then whoo hoo! Score one for the Kingdom! That’s mega exposure and a powerful testimony.
