Grace Franklin Pays Tribute To Grandmother Aretha By Singing 'Ain't No Way' [Watch]
A video of Grace Franklin, the granddaughter of music legend Aretha Franklin, singing one of the late music icon's songs has been doing the rounds on the internet.
The 15-year-old proved that talent truly runs in the family by delivering a heartwarming rendition of her grandmother's favorite song, "Ain't No Way," at the movie premiere of "Respect" in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Jennifer Hudson, who plays the Queen of Soul in the biopic, posted a video of the performance on Instagram on Wednesday. "Grace Franklin sings 'Ain't No Way' at Respect premiere," Hudson captioned it. "What better what to celebrate Aretha Franklin than for her granddaughter @gfranklin61 to sing her song at the film premiere? She would be so proud!"
The video soon became viral and received more than 647,000 views. Fans also shared it on YouTube and Twitter. In the video, Hudson could be seen introducing Grace.
"The best way to honor their legacy is to do what you know they will love," Hudson said before she handed the microphone over to Grace amid cheers from the crowd.
"I'm so happy to see my grandmother honored in such an amazing way. 'Ain't No Way' is my favorite song from my grandma, so I hope y'all enjoy it!" Grace said before she started singing.
"Respect" follows Aretha's journey from a choir singer to an international star. The movie is directed by Liesl Tommy and is set to release Friday.
The "Dreamgirls" star Hudson and Grace first shared a musical moment on Aug. 4 as the two gathered at the latter's great-grandpa's home a few days ahead of the movie's premiere.
In a video, Grace can be seen singing a few lines from "Ain't No Way," much to the amazement of Hudson and some other friends who cheered the teenage granddaughter of the Queen of Soul.
"Surprise! [It was] truly an amazing experience getting to sing for such an amazing vocalist. chilling and talking with @iamjhud at my great-grandpa's old house was so wonderful. She's so down to Earth, it was like we met before! she did such a great job playing my grandma, I hope all of you enjoy :) @respectmovie #respect #respectmovie," Grace wrote alongside the clip at the time.
"Respect" is not the only Hollywood production about the great singer's colorful life as a performer. "Genius: Aretha," an eight-episode mini-series about Aretha's personal life and career by National Geographic, premiered in March. However, her family was not too excited about it, NY Post reported.
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