Reba McEntire and Jennifer Hudson joined forces for an impromptu performance of Aretha Franklin’s 1967 classic hit “Respect.” The country music icon and the American Idol alum teamed up on the song during McEntire’s recent visit on Hudson’s talk show, The Jennifer Hudson Show.
The duet made for a special moment between the stars after Hudson asked McEntire, “Can we sing a little bit of [the song]?”
McEntire, of course, jumped at the chance to blend the two’s vocals, replying with the words: “Oh yeah!”
Kicking off the legendary hit song with accompaniment from a piano player named Charles, the two superstars launched into the tall order, with McEntire taking the first verse.
“What you want, baby, I got it/ What you need, do you know I got it?/ All I want you to do for me is show me some respect when you get home/ Hey, baby/ Give it to me/ Hey baby,” McEntire delivered the lyrics while boogying around in her seat on a plush sofa.
Hudson provided the background vocals before claiming the second verse.
“I ain’t gon’ do you wrong while you’re gone/ Ain’t gon’ do you wrong ’cause I don’t wanna/ All I’m askin’ is for a little respect when you come home/ Baby/ When you get home/ Yeah,” she sang the second half of the tune with ease.
Watch Reba McEntire And Jennifer Hudson’s Duet Below
McEntire and Hudson share strong ties to Franklin, who was often referred to as the Queen of Soul. And they spoke about their high respect (no pun intended) for Franklin during the sit-down portion of the conversation.
Hudson recalled McEntire’s cover performance of “Respect” in the ‘80s, asking the question: “So, you covered Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’ in 1980. How did that come about?”
“I liked the song,” the 68-year-old, simply, answered. “Yeah. I love the song. I love Aretha.”
Hudson didn’t make clear which of McEntire’s cover performances of the Franklin hit she was referring to, but the “Fancy” singer did perform the tune in 1988 during the CMA Awards. That performance can be found in the clip below.
Reba McEntire Recorded A Cover Of “Respect” For Her Fourteenth Studio Album
Along with her live rendition of “Respect,” McEntire included a cover of the song on her fourteenth studio album, Reba.
During the 1-hour telecast, McEntire recalled a once-in-a-lifetime chance meeting Franklin, telling Hudson, “I got to meet her. She scared me to death. I wouldn’t even talk to her,” she added, as the studio audience erupted into a fit of laughter.
Hudson, who, meanwhile, played Franklin in the 2021 biopic Respect admitted she could relate to McEntire.
“Yeah, (she) scared me, too,” she said with a smile.
“I got to meet her in Washington, DC, at ‘Christmas in Washington,’ and she’s just amazing,” McEntire added.
Franklin died on Thursday, August 16, 2018, following a heroic battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 76.
McEntire Credits Aretha Franklin As A Major Inspiration
“I’ve had so many influences in my life, and one of them is the Queen of Soul,” McEntire previously shared on Twitter, at the time of Franklin’s passing, honoring her with a clip from the 1988 performance. “Rest in Peace, Aretha. I’ll sing this one for you.”
Folks can look forward to seeing McEntire on the small screen again as she will soon play the role of Mega Mentor on Season 23 of The Voice. McEntire will help Blake Shelton coach his team by guiding contestants during the grueling knockout rounds.
The Voice airs Monday and Tuesday nights on NBC.
