?Ariana Grande performed a moving rendition of Aretha Franklin’s 1967 hit “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” at the Queen of Soul’s memorial on Friday at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit. Mesmerizing the crowd, Grande had many in tears and transfixed — former President Bill Clinton included — as she paid homage to the legendary singer with her powerful voice and beautiful tribute.
Grande, who kept her usual verbal gymnastics in check to to keep the focus on Franklin’s formidable legacy, was backed by the funky house band and a quartet of powerful backups singers who helped the performance soar.
Grande arrived just a short time earlier with fiance Pete Davidson and the couple mingled and greeted some of the other VIPs in the house, including Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Related Stories
Grande was asked to perform at the funeral after the Franklin family was moved by her emotional rendition of the song on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight’s Show on Aug.16. On the show, Grande recalled her memories of meeting Franklin. “I met her a few times,” she said, adding, “We sang at the White House and she was so sweet, she was so cute… It’s an honor to have met her. Grande also told the audience about the one time Franklin called her, asking her to listen to her nephew’s music as a favor.
Franklin’s memorial will includes performances by Faith Hill, Chaka Khan, Steve Wonder and Jennifer Hudson.
Watch Grande’s performance below and head here to watch a live stream of the funeral.
This story originally appeared on Billboard.
