Reba McEntire Honors Aretha Franklin With Cover Of “Respect”

Reba McEntire Honors Aretha Franklin With Cover Of “Respect” | Classic Country Music | Legendary Stories and Songs Videos

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Reba McEntire Often Paid Tribute To Aretha Franklin With “Respect”

Aretha Franklin may have been the “Queen of Soul” but her influence crossed all genre lines. Many country stars admired her work, including Reba McEntire.

While McEntire is as country as they come, she has always been a fan of Franklin’s. She proved this in a concrete way when she recorded Franklin’s iconic hit “Respect” for her 1988 self-titled album.

Written and originally recorded by Otis Redding, “Respect” was later made famous by Franklin when she released her rendition in 1967. She changed up the song in significant ways, telling it from a female’s perspective and adding the recognizable “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” chorus.”

Thanks to the changes that Franklin made, “Respect” came to be known as a powerful anthem for women around the world.

It takes a lot of guts to cover one of Franklin’s songs. Since the “Queen of Soul” was so well-loved and so talented, anyone who tries to sing her work has quite the challenge ahead of them.

But as a powerhouse vocalist herself, McEntire accepted the challenge.

Although she could have just slipped “Respect” on her album as a subtle track, she decided to up the ante by performing the song live.

If you’ve been a McEntire fan for a long time, you’ve likely had the chance to see her sing “Respect” in concert. She used it as the opening number of her 1988 shows. McEntire continues to perform the song live to this day.

McEntire even joined Jennifer Hudson (who played Franklin in a movie) to sing “Respect” on her talk show.

But out of the many times that she’s performed “Respect,” nothing can beat McEntire’s performance at the 1988 CMA Awards.

Franklin’s Passing Prompts Sharing Of Old Performance

When McEntire heard the news that Franklin passed away, she knew exactly how she wanted honor to her. Taking to Facebook, McEntire shared a link to her “Respect” cover at the 1988 CMA Awards.

Rest In Peace, Aretha,” McEntire wrote. “I’ll sing this one for you.”

Reba McEntire posted this tribute to Aretha Franklin after she died in 2018
Reba McEntire / Facebook

The performance marked the first time most ever heard McEntire sing “Respect.” McEntire brought that same fire to her rendition that made Franklin’s recording such a hit all of those years ago.

Dare you not to sing along as you watch McEntire perform “Respect” in the video below. Such a fitting way to honor an artist whose talent was out of this world.

May Franklin rest in peace. Her legacy lives on through “Respect” and the other songs she left behind.

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