Aretha Franklin – Nessun Dorma

• SA Engages

November 12, 2015

I love a good story, especially when it comes to incredible musicians interacting with, and helping, their peers.

During the 1998 Grammy Awards, Luciano Pavarotti was scheduled to perform his famous ‘Nessun Dorma’. However, last-minute, Pavarotti informed the show’s producers that he couldn’t go on because he was sick. This left show organizers trying to figure out what to do with the scheduled slot. Phil Ramone, one of the show’s producers, knew that Aretha Franklin had sung that very song at Radio City for a MusicCares event just two nights prior. One problem: her arrangement was completely different than Luciano’s. With just twenty minutes until the scheduled performance, Ramone rushed to Aretha’s dressing room to convince her to cover for Pavarotti. After listening through a rehearsal tape three times, she agreed to do it…even without a rehearsal.

You can see below how the performance went. She stunned the audience.