Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Celine Dion, SZA and Patti LaBelle are among the artists who will pay tribute to Aretha Franklin in a 2019 concert to be televised by CBS.
“Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul,” to be held Jan. 13 at L.A.’s Shrine Auditorium, was announced Thursday morning by the Recording Academy, which oversees the Grammy Awards.
The show will be co-produced by longtime Franklin collaborator Clive Davis, along with the Recording Academy and longtime Grammys director Ken Ehrlich.
The week of Franklin’s Aug. 16 death, Davis announced a tribute show originally slated for November in New York.
Tyler Perry will host. Other performers will include John Legend, Yolanda Adams, Shirley Caesar, Alessia Cara, Kelly Clarkson, Common, BeBe Winans, Brandi Carlile, Chloe X Halle, H.E.R. and Janelle Monáe.
A broadcast date has not been set.
“I am thrilled to have the Recording Academy and CBS as partners in this global tribute to my very dear friend Aretha Franklin,” Davis said in a statement. “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.”
The Aretha show is the latest in a recent series of Grammy tribute events, including concerts devoted to Stevie Wonder and the Beatles.
Brian McCollum, Gannett
Read more at usatoday.com
