Jennifer Hudson Makes Her CMA Awards Performance Debut

Actor and soul singer Jennifer Hudson made her CMA Awards debut on Wednesday night (Nov. 10), stepping onto the nation awards present stage for a show-stopping (actually) tribute to Aretha Franklin. Chris Stapleton joined the star of the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect on guitar and vocals.

Hudson blew your complete crowd away along with her pitch-perfect rendition of Franklin’s “Night time Life,” adopted by a raucous duet of “You Are My Sunshine” with Stapleton. Everybody within the crowd was on their toes, visibly moved by Hudson’s efficiency. And although the telecast minimize them off early to go to industrial, there is no doubt the gang stayed on their toes lengthy after the ultimate word.

Joined by a dozen world class musicians on stage, Hudson and Stapleton matched one another’s depth and delivered a very memorable CMA second. Trisha Yearwood launched the pair, noting the inseparable connection between soul and nation music and remarking that Hudson was there “to honor Aretha’s contribution to nation” with a tune Franklin recorded half a century in the past.

Whereas Hudson herself could not have a lot direct expertise with releasing nation music, she not too long ago channeled a robust, all-genre icon when she starred as Aretha Franklin within the 2021 biopic Respect. On the time the film got here out, the New York Times reported that Franklin and Hudson’s friendship dates again over a decade, and that Franklin was actually the one who recommended that Hudson ought to play her.

Franklin died in 2018 on the age of 76, and musicians of each style and magnificence stepped as much as tribute her reminiscence, together with many nation stars. Within the wake of her loss of life, acts like Willie Nelson, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw and Kelly Clarkson all mirrored on Franklin’s affect.

The Nation Music Affiliation held the 2021 CMA Awards at Bridgestone Area in downtown Nashville. The present, hosted for the primary time by Luke Bryan, returned to the venue — its house since 2006 — after one 12 months at Music Metropolis Middle because of the COVID-19 pandemic.