Longtime viewers of “American Idol” will see a blast from the past on this week’s episode.
28.02.2022 - 17:39 / etonline.com
on Sunday's season 20 premiere. The late Aretha Franklin's granddaughter, Grace Franklin, the 15-year-old daughter of Aretha's son, Kecalf Cunningham, tested her own musical chops in front of judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. Grace shared her lineage with the judges right off the bat, and opened up about her relationship with the late R&B legend in an aside package. «I was really close with my grandma.
I got to see her all the time. I used to travel with her a lot,» Grace shared of Aretha.
«I don't think I could fully grasp the fact that she was known worldwide, because to me she was always just 'Grandma.'»In terms of her own musical style, Grace feels like she is a different artist from the «Respect» singer. «I feel like people expect me to sing exactly like her, but I am my own artist and I have my own voice,» she said. Judge Richie was thrilled to learn of Grace's ancestry, sharing several personal stories about Aretha. Perry wanted to know if the singer did, in fact, «kept a little pistol in her purse» and Grace told her it was not true, noting that her purse was filled with «the money.» For her audition song, Grace chose Lauryn Hill's version of «Killing Me Softly.» While she hit all the right notes, Grace's rendition lacked any spark with Bryan calling it «sleepy and subdued.» Perry asked Grace to sing another song and she then sang her grandmother's song, «Ain't No Way.» While this song packed more of a punch, not all of the judges were convinced. Bryan said she needed to «add command» to her performance and voted «No.» Perry disagreed, saying, «I think you have stardust and sparkle all over you.
Longtime viewers of “American Idol” will see a blast from the past on this week’s episode.
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as contestant Sam Finelli faced his fears and auditioned for judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan. The 28-year-old bakery assistant opened up about his struggles with autism, expressing how music helped him get through a difficult childhood.«I don't connect with people very well. It's just a small part of who I am,» Sam explained.
as contestant Sam Finelli faced his fears to audition for judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan. The 28-year-old bakery assistant opened up about his struggles with autism, expressing how music helped him get through a difficult childhood.«I don't connect with people very well. It's just a small part of who I am,» Sam explained.
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Aretha Franklin’s young granddaughter has been rejected from American Idol after auditioning for the long-running talent show last month.15-year-old Grace Franklin didn’t advance from her audition on February 27. Speaking before her audition, she said: “I feel like people expect me to sing exactly like her, but I am my own artist and I have my own voice.”Performing a version of Roberta Flack’s ‘Killing Me Softly’ in the style of the Fugees‘ iconic cover, Franklin was told by judge Luke Bryan that the performance “was all just a little sleepy and subdued to me,” while fellow judge Katy Perry called it “soft”.Another performance, this time of her grandmother’s track ‘Ain’t No Way’, followed, but Franklin was unsuccessful in her attempts to reach the next round of the competition.Watch both performances below.Aretha Franklin died in August 2018 in Detroit at the age of 76.
audition, she had also never performed before she stepped on the stage in front of judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie. The 18-year-old native of Boone County, West Virginia, shared the story of her difficult childhood, and being raised by her grandparents. Kelsie noted that her grandmother sadly died in 2021 after suffering complications from COVID-19. Noting that her grandmother «pushed her» to try things, Kelsie decided to «step outside» of her comfort zone in her honor.
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Katy Perry has had some pretty memorable moments during her time as a judge on American Idol, but a recent one allowed her to finally clear some things up regarding one of her biggest hits.MORE: Katy Perry taken aback by very surprising audition during American Idol premiereThe singer had a conversation with fellow judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan as they talked about artists often adding too many unnecessary flairs to their singing.WATCH: Katy Perry's Chocotopia adventureLuke then started singing to Katy's hit Firework by performing the lines in the chorus as "up, up, up," and then "ah, ah, ah," to her annoyance."It's not 'up, up, up' and it's not 'ah, ah, ah'," she said, to which Luke retorted: "Well what is it then, because I've been dying to know all these years?"MORE: Katy Perry looks unreal in all-leather outfit"It's 'awe, awe, awe' everybody, get it right!" she said. Luke even questioned: "Is that a word in the dictionary?" to which Katy responded: "It is!"She even added on to the career-long debate about her song, saying: "It's not Fireworks, it's Firework."A post shared by KATY PERRY (@katyperry)Katy cleared up what the lyrics for Firework really were for LukeKaty posted the clip on her Instagram with the caption: "FOR THE OFFICIAL RECORD • it is AWE not UP • it is FIREWORK not FIREWORKSSS.
Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, but this aspiring singer did it.On Sunday's , the judges are left speechless when they meet contestant Kenedi Anderson. In ET's exclusive sneak peek from Part 2 of the auditions, at first Perry, Richie and Bryan think nothing of her audition.
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Aretha Franklin’s legacy will live on forever, and now, we’re getting another reminder of how far her influence has extended.Over the weekend, fans got to see the legend’s 15-year-old granddaughter, Grace, audition for Season 20 of American Idol, proving that singing runs in the family.“I was really close to my grandma,” the teenager said during the episode on Sunday, February 27. “I got to see her all the time.
Does Aretha Franklin‘s granddaughter have what it takes to be a star, too??
In what might be one of the biggest audition shockers in American Idol history, fifteen-year-old hopeful Grace Franklin walked out before the judges and revealed that she is the granddaughter of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.
American Idol auditions. passed away in August 2018 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 76 years old. “I was really close to my grandma.