Originally posted Monday, September 3, 2018 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Both Fantasia and Jennifer Hudson sang during the eight-hour Aretha Franklin memorial service last Friday in Detroit.
“I hope she don’t mind,” Fantasia said as an opening. “I don’t think she would, but I think I’m gonna come out of my shoes!”
She sang a roof-raising rendition of “Precious Lord, Take My Hand/You’ve Got a Friend.”
Hudson performed a version of “Amazing Grace” that left many in the audience in tears.
In January, producers of an Aretha biopic said Hudson would play Franklin.
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The final first-round auditions for season 17 of "American Idol" will be held at Infinite Energy on September 20. You can pre-register here.
They held auditions at that same location five years ago season 13.
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Kelly Clarkson fans are lobbying for her to be the Super Bowl halftime entertainer in 2019 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium after she performed for the opening ceremonies of the 50th U.S. Open last week. Check out her performance above.
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"Love Wins" is Carrie Underwood's newest song released from her upcoming album "Cry Pretty." It's her lament about the divisive political environmental we're in and how she hopes people can still come together.
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Katharine McPhee evoked a classic season 5 moment to encourage people to vote this November 6. Some perceived this as shade toward Taylor Hicks but he didn't take it that way.
Taylor told TMZ that her post was a great way to push people to the polls in November and that he and McPhee were always fine with each other.
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Clay Aiken Tweet of the week
He honored Sen. John McCain and attended his funeral on Saturday.
Clay is friends with McCain's daughter Meghan McCain, who gave a touching eulogy to her father at the service.
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