Aretha Franklin brought the audience to their feet and President Barack Obama to tears when the Queen of Soul performed her hit “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” in a tribute to Carole King during the Kennedy Center Honors, which aired Tuesday night on CBS.
King, who co-wrote the song with Gerry Goffin and Jerry Wexler, was visibly beside herself and humbled by the performance. Franklin accompanied herself on piano for the first half of the song, something she rarely does.
Other performances during the ceremony, which took place December 6th at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, included James Taylor, Sara Bareilles, and Janelle Monae.
Filmmaker George Lucas, actress and singer Rita Moreno, conductor Seiji Ozawa, and Broadway star Cicely Tyson were also honored.
While the Eagles were announced as a 2015 Kennedy Center Honoree, Glenn Frey’s intestinal surgery caused the group to postpone their appearance until 2016.