Late Night Talk Shows Pay Tribute to Aretha Franklin

On Aug. 16, several late night talk shows remembered music legend Aretha Franklin on the day she had passed away at the age of 76 due to cancer.

To begin “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon“, pop star Ariana Grande performed her rendition of Franklin’s classic hit “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” with The Roots as her backup band.

On “The Late Show“, host Stephen Colbert recalled his hosting gig at the Kennedy Center Honors from 2015 where Franklin honored Carole King, the songwriter of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” He told a stagehand backstage at the time during her performance that he wished he had seen her in-person when she were younger and in full voice. Colbert, in hindsight, stated, “…and boy, am I stupid.”

And, at the open of “The Late Late Show with James Corden“, the band played the instrumental of Franklin’s most famous hit “Respect”. Atop the stage, instead of the show’s title, it read the title of another Franklin hit tune, “Say a Little Prayer.”