Reba McEntire Sings Magnificent “Respect” Duet With Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson Show / YouTube
Few people know that Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” was not original to “The Queen of Soul.” It was written by Otis Redding, who released his original version in 1965.
Franklin released her remake two years later. She made some changes, including the addition of the now-famous “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” chorus and the repeated “sock it to me” line.
Her recording reached the #1 spot on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart following its release. It also led Franklin to two Grammy wins.
The Library of Congress added Franklin’s version of “Respect” to the National Recording Registry in 2002. Rolling Stone ranked the song as the #1 Greatest Song of All Time on its updated 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, which was published in 2021.
Many artists have covered “Respect” in the years since Franklin released her version. One singer known for performing “Respect” is country music legend Reba McEntire.
McEntire featured “Respect” on her 1988 self-titled album. She performed the song live as the opening number on tour that year. McEntire also delivered an unforgettable performance of “Respect” during the 1988 CMA Awards.
Another artist known for singing “Respect” is Jennifer Hudson. And rightfully so, because Hudson played Franklin in the 2021 biopic Respect.
McEntire and Hudson bonded over being shared fans of Franklin’s music when McEntire was a guest on Hudson’s talk show. Hudson asked if McEntire would be willing to sing a little bit of “Respect” with her, and she happily agreed.
As you’d expect, their duet was absolutely magnificent. The two of them took turns singing lead. While one would sing the main part, the other would chime in to provide backing vocals.
Viewers loved watching McEntire and Hudson sing “Respect” together. Some of the comments on YouTube were:
“These are two beautiful legends you can’t go wrong with a mix of country and r&b soul twang.”
“Had me dancing these women are phenomenal…love this show…”
“I love the fact that JHud matched Reba’s vocals !!! They are both so legendary!!!”
“Clearly these two need to record this song immediately!!!!”
We could talk about their duet all day, but it’s something you just have to see yourself. Check it out in the video below!
