When Adam Lambert and Jennifer Hudson were reunited with Michael Orland, the pianist from their American Idol days, they felt it was the perfect opportunity to reminisce by singing a duet that no reader would want to miss. Gathering around the piano on the Jennifer Hudson Show, Adam and Jennifer shocked the audience by performing the classic opera number – ‘Nessun Dorma’. Despite not having rehearsals or specializing in opera, the pair amazed the audience with their skills.
Their performance didn’t stop there. Reflecting on their American Idol first auditions, they recalled that Jennifer Hudson auditioned with an Aretha Franklin song and Adam Lambert with a Queen song. So, they decided to switch artists. Jennifer first took on Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You,’ showing off her impressive range by raising the pitch on every line. Adam proved his soulful chops by singing Aretha Franklin’s ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.’
The audience was stunned by the singers’ pitch-perfect performances, cheering and applauding the duo when they finished. Online viewers reacted strongly to the performance, too, sharing their amazement not only at the pair’s vocal talents but also their versatility. One impressed fan commented, “Two all-time great singers, a rock singer and an R&B singer, are doing opera with no rehearsal and having to pick up the key as it is being played. And they can do that?!! Wow.”
This wasn’t the first time Jennifer Hudson had invited someone to sing an Aretha Franklin song on her show. Music Man readers may recall Reba McEntire’s appearance at the CMA Awards in 1988, where she covered Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’ in tribute to the singer. She repeated her performance of the song as a duet with Jennifer when she appeared on her show in 2023. Reba showed her versatility as she blended her iconic country-style vocals with the soul style of the song and Jennifer’s voice.
While The Jennifer Hudson Show has invited people from many different professions to its couch, Jennifer’s own prestige as a singer makes it the perfect place to invite musicians and singers to discuss their craft and perform alongside the host. Not only that, but with Jennifer’s encouragement to step out of their musical comfort zones, the show provides viewers with the opportunity to hear these singers perform in an entirely different way. These unique performances from the guests, combined with Jennifer Hudson’s knockout vocals, mean Music Man readers will certainly want to tune in for any future duets on the show.
