Tyler Perry

Tyler Perry 

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Tyler Perry Talks Doing "Madea" Impressions For Aretha Franklin

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Tune into "Aretha! A GRAMMY Celebration For The Queen Of Soul" on Sunday, March 10 at 9 p.m. EST / 8 p.m. CT on CBS to see the actor and comedian on host duties
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Mar 4, 2019 - 11:52 am

No one can say no to the Aretha Franklin, especially not actor and comedian Tyler Perry, who will host the star-studded show, Aretha! A GRAMMY Celebration For The Queen Of Soul, airing on Sunday, March 10 on CBS and features performances from Patti LaBelle, Common, Janelle Monáe, Jennifer Hudson,  John Legend and more. 

So when The Queen of Soul called Perry up and said, "I wanna talk to Madea," he immediately got into role. "Can't say no to Aretha," he told the Recording Academy, before doing an impression of his beloved grandmother character: "Hellur?"

Mar 4, 2019 – 11:43 am

Tyler Perry Shares Memories Of Aretha And Madea

"Her voice was so universal and so strong and so powerful ... You could be from some small island in the south pacific and never heard her sing and hear her voice and know, wait a minute this woman is special. Her voice was the raising of the flag for all of us," Perry continued. 

Tune into "Aretha! A GRAMMY Celebration For The Queen Of Soul" on Sunday, March 10 at 9 p.m. EST / 8 p.m. CT on CBS to see Perry on host duties and the tributes that will honor the queen. 

Patti LaBelle On Her Hero, Aretha Franklin: "She Was The Greatest Singer In The World"

Shirley Caesar

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Shirley Caesar Honors Aretha Franklin Through Gospel Music

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The singer performs "Mary, Don't You Weep" along with Yolanda Adams and BeBe Winans on "Aretha! A GRAMMY Celebration For The Queen Of Soul," airing on March 10
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Mar 6, 2019 - 1:05 pm

GRAMMY-winning gospel icon Shirley Caesar pays tribute to her longtime friend, the late Aretha Franklin, during the "Aretha! A GRAMMY Celebration For The Queen Of Soul" airing on March 10.

"Aretha was my friend, we traveled together when we were children, we sang together," she said. "I am so glad, I am so glad that everybody, that all of these different organizations, if you will, are remembering her because she was such a blessing."

Mar 6, 2019 – 1:02 pm

Shirley Caesar Honors Aretha Franklin With Gospel

Caesar will pay tribute to the legend's gospel roots. "Aretha comes from a background of preachers and singers and so she could not help, but be the person that she was when it comes to gospel," she said.

The singer performs "Mary, Don't You Weep" along with Yolanda Adams and BeBe Winans. She told the Recording Academy backstage during the taping earlier this year: "I know I can't sing it like her, but I can Caesrize it, you know."

Tune in this weekend to see all the special moments celebrating the icon. "Aretha! A GRAMMY Celebration For The Queen Of Soul" will air on Sun., March 10 at 9 p.m. EST / 8 p.m. CT on CBS.

Sneak Peek: Patti LaBelle, John Legend, SZA, Alicia Keys, Common & More Celebrate Aretha Franklin

Patti LaBelle

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Patti LaBelle On Her Hero, Aretha Franklin: "She Was The Greatest Singer In The World"

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Watch LaBelle pay tribute to her hero with a "Call Me" cover
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Feb 28, 2019 - 11:30 am

What does one legend have to say about another? GRAMMY-winning singer Patti LaBelle had admirable words for the late soul icon Aretha Franklin at the taping of "Aretha! A GRAMMY Celebration For The Queen Of Soul," airing on CBS on Sun. March 10.

"She was a solid performer. She never stopped giving," LaBelle said. "She was the greatest singer in the world, to me. She's my hero and so many others' hero, she is." 

Feb 28, 2019 – 11:27 am

Patti LaBelle: No One Can Channel Aretha Franklin

Franklin died last August, and, as a tribute to the late performer, artists including Common, Janelle Monáe, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Kelly Clarkson and more came together to sing some of her greatest songs. Regarding the performances, LaBelle, who sang "Call Me" at the celebration, shared more wisdom:

"You can't channel Aretha. Heck no. You just go up there and pray that she loves you," LaBelle said. "Ain't no channeling the queen, honey."

Tune into "Aretha! A GRAMMY Celebration For The Queen Of Soul" on Sunday, March 10 at 9 p.m. EST / 8 p.m. CT on CBS to catch LaBelle's full performance. 

Smokey Robinson Honors "Lifelong Friend" Aretha Franklin With Moving Speech

Kevin Parker of Tame Impala

Photo: Rick Kern/WireImage

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Listen: Tame Impala Release New Track "Patience"

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It's been four years since we've heard new music from Tame Impala, but their new release has come just in time for festival season
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Mar 22, 2019 - 1:08 pm

Tame Impala have released a new single appropriately called "Patience." The GRAMMY-nominated music project by Australian singer and musician Kevin Parker had not released any new tracks since 2015's Currents.

The long-awaited latest release embodies the exact feeling of having to wait for something: "Has it really been that long? / Did I count the days wrong? ... I've been waiting here / Waiting for the day to come," Parker's soft voice sings on the track featuring an equally soft piano. 

Parker, who has come to fame for the psychedelic, dreamy pop sound he shares as Tame Impala, teased the single on Instagram last night. "New track. 1 hour. Speakers/headphones people," the post said. 

He and his touring band will be headlining Coachella and Lollapalooza this year and starting a U.S. tour after the Indio, Calif. dates. He said that he would like to release a new album by mid-2019. 

"I'd be really disappointed if we didn't have something out by then." Parker told Matt Wilkinson on Beats 1. "I love playing the songs live, I love playing Currents songs I love playing Lonerism songs and everything but I think I'm ready to play some other songs live."

Behind The Board: Matt Ross-Spang On Why Memphis Is The Reason He Produces

Matt Ross-Spang

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Behind The Board: Matt Ross-Spang On Why Memphis Is The Reason He Produces

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The Memphis native, who has worked with Jason Isbell, Margo Price and others, shares what he feels is dying in the studio and more
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Mar 22, 2019 - 10:10 am

GRAMMY-winning engineer, mixer and producer Matt Ross-Spang's first time in the studio was for his 14th birthday when he was given two hours of recording time at Sun Studio, known as the "birthplace of rock 'n' roll" in Memphis, Tenn. Engineer, musician and producer James Lott was on the board to help out. 

Mar 22, 2019 – 10:09 am

Behind The Board: Matt Ross-Spang

"I watched James working the faders and manning the controls and that's when I was like that's really cool." Ross-Spang says in the latest episode of Behind The Board. "'Cause I knew I wasn't going to be a great guitar player or anything I just enjoyed playing, but I saw that and I was like 'that's what I wanna do.'"

Ross-Spang, who has worked with Jason Isbell, John Prine, Margo Price and more, gets into how he produces depending on the artist, the kind of music-making he thinks is dying in the studio and some Memphis music history.

"If I had been born anywhere else I wouldn't be doing this," he said. "Memphis has kind of left a big mark on me."

Watch the video above.

Behind The Board: Lynne Earls Shares How Working With K.D. Lang & Others Taught Her Instinctual Music-Making