Back in the year 1998, Opera legend Pavarotti was scheduled to perform the classic aria, ‘Nessun Dorma’ – the final act opener from Turnadot, at the 40th annual Grammy awards.However, when the late legend fell sick at the very last moment of the show’s telecast, the show’s organizers had to immediately find another artist to fill-in the spot.
As it turned out, the Grammy organizers counted on none other than the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin to do the job.
Within a short-notice of literally a few minutes, Franklin decided to grace the stage singing the classic aria in the same key as Pavarotti but with her own soulful flavor to top it up.
As Miss Franklin belted out the high B, leading to a glorious finale of an act Pavarotti had made his own only 4 years ago during a widely-watched TV special – a thunderous standing ovation from the audience in the end sealed it as one of the most extraordinary moments in award show history.
Looking back in awe of why the Queen of Soul’s artistry surpassed all genres with her formidable gift.
Watch the iconic performance below: