When Aretha Franklin stepped in to perform Nessun Dorma at last minute after Pavarotti got ill

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/aretha-franklin-death-nessun-dorma-pavarotti-grammys-performance-a8494851.html Aretha Franklin has passed away at the age of 76, leaving behind five decades' worth of some of the most memorable live performances. One such performance came in 1998. Luciano Pavarotti, too unwell to perform at the Grammy Awards, was replaced at the last minute by the Queen of Soul herself, who was a friend of the opera singer. However, instead of opting for one of her own hits, Franklin stuck with the aria most synonymous with Pavarotti, “Nessun Dorma”. More than a billion viewers watched live on TV across the world on as Franklin hit the Puccini number's signature high B with ease, stunning the Radio City Music Hall audience and sending the jaws of artists including Celine Dion to the floor. Three years ago, Franklin performed the track yet again - this time for Pope Francis at a show in Philadelphia. Aretha Franklin – career in pictures 1968 1968 1969 1967 Franklin made a habit of stunning high-profile audiences. In 2015, she reduced Barack Obama to tears with a rendition of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” at a ceremony honouring the song's writers Gerry Goffin and Carole King. The Queen of Soul - who sold over 75m records worldwide - became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.