Jennifer Hudson will play Aretha Franklin in an upcoming biopic on the late singer's life, which means there's no better person to honour Aretha than Jennifer at this year's Pulitzer Prize Ceremony. Aretha, who died in August of last year, received a posthumous special citation “for her indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades."
Aretha is the first female individual to receive the honour and Jennifer's stunning performance of Aretha's "Amazing Grace" surely made the singer smile from heaven.
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Jennifer almost didn't make it to the performance at Columbia University due to bad weather, but she braved a long and dark car ride to make it there on time. “I looked up and I thought, ‘You know what, it’s like Aretha’s spirit is in me. She didn’t believe in flying, she would drive.’ I got here in time, five minutes early to sing, because I wasn’t going to miss it," she said. "Honey I said, ‘If I got to walk, if I got to crawl, I’m going to get there.’ And here I am — so it’s in my heart.”
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“It is an absolute honor to be a part of bringing Ms. Franklin’s story to audiences who adore her around the world," Jennifer previously stated of the biopic, where Aretha chose her to play the part before her passing. "She is one of the most iconic and talented artists of all time and what a dream come true it is to portray her extraordinary life on screen."
