Aretha Franklin Pays Tribute to Whitney Houston at Radio City

On the night before Whitney Houston‘s funeral–where she will perform–the amazing and svelte Aretha Franklin paid tribute to her god-daughter in concert at Radio City Music Hall. Playing to a sold out house that included Clive Davis, LA Reid, former Warnaco CEO Linda Wachner and Mica Ertegun, widow of Atlantic founder Ahmet Ertegun–Franklin put on a dazzling, robust nearly two hour show that featured two of Houston’s hits: “I Will Always Love You” and “The Greatest Love of All.” She showed many pictures on screens above the stage of both Whitney and her mother Cissy Houston, who was for many years Franklin’s chief backup singer. She even bridged the connection between herself and Whitney by performing an old hit of her own–”Give Him Something He Can Feel” from the movie, “Sparkle.” Just before her death, Houston had filmed a remake of “Sparkle.”

But it was otherwise a stellar night for Franklin, who turns 70 next month singing and looking better than ever. She rearranged some of her hits, like “Natural Woman,” “Daydreamin’,” and “The House That Jack Built.” Her latest take on one of her masterpieces–”Ain’t No Way”–written by her own late sister, Carolyn–was breathtaking. Franklin has seemed completely renewed in performance in the last year. Her show at Jones Beach last summer was a pinnacle. But this one in every way equaled it. At the piano, she directed her orchestra and singers through her own gospel version of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” The way she does that song surprises even Paul Simon–it’s a work of art on a huge canvas. And she even threw in a long lost ballad, “Sweet Bitter Love,” that sounded as fresh as ever.

Of course, an Aretha Franklin show is best marked by her own piano playing and going to “church.” There was plenty of gospel in this show, just the right amount for a night of “healing” before Saturday’s sad event in New Jersey for Houston. “Spirit in the Dark” wrapped an evening that was  memorable and moving. And Franklin even told a very funny story joke that worked, and caught the audience by surprise. So bravo–only Aretha, the Queen of Soul, who’s lived through plenty of triumphs and tragedies, would know how to pull off a big show on the eve of a bad day. And she’s back at Radio City on Saturday night, believe it or not. If you can find a ticket, get one.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerfriedman/2012/02/18/aretha-franklin-pays-tribut...