( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )♪♪
>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY! WELCOME BACK!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW,"
EVERYBODY.
FOLKS, MY GUEST TONIGHT IS AN ACADEMY
AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS AND TWO-TIME GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING
SINGER YOU KNOW FROM "DREAMGIRLS" AND "THE COLOR
PURPLE," AND NOW SHE PLAYS ARETHA FRANKLIN IN HER NEW FILM,
"RESPECT."
♪♪ ♪♪
♪ JUST A LITTLE BIT -- ♪ ♪ JUST A LITTLE BIT ♪
♪ JUST A LITTLE BIT ♪ ♪
( CLEARS THROAT ) ♪ JUST A LITTLE BIT ♪
♪ JUST A LITTLE BIT ♪ >> ONE MORE TIME.
♪ JUST A LITTLE BIT.
>> GO A THIRD BELOW, CAROLYN.
♪ JUST A LITTLE BIT ♪ ♪ JUST A LITTLE BIT ♪
♪ JUST A LITTLE BIT ♪ ♪ YEAH, BABY ♪
♪ JUST A LITTLE BIT ♪ ♪ SOCK IT TO ME ♪
♪ SOCK IT TO ME ♪ PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE
SHOW" JENNIFER HUDSON!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪♪
♪ FREEDOM ♪ ♪ FREEDOM ♪
♪ FREEDOM ♪ ♪
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> WOW!
HEY, LOVELY TO HAVE YOU BACK.
I FEEL THE LOVE AND I'M SO HAPPY TO BE BACK.
>> Stephen: YES, I'M CLEARLY NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO'S EXCITED.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: LAST TIME YOU WERE
HERE, WE TALKED ABOUT ARETHA FRANKLIN, AND YOU ALREADY HAD A
RELATIONSHIP WITH HER BEFORE WORKING ON THIS PROJECT AND THE
FACT SHE HAND-PICKED YOU AS THE PERSON SHE WANTED TO PLAY HER IN
HER BIO PIC.
WHILE YOU HAD THIS RELATIONSHIP, WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU DIDN'T
KNOW ABOUT ARETHA FRANKLIN IN ALL YOUR YEARS OF YOUR
FRIENDSHIP.
>> I DIDN'T KNOW HOW CLOSE SHE AND DR. KING WAS AND HOW SHE WAS
SO MUCH A PART OF ACTIVISM.
>> Stephen: I HAVE A PHOTO.
THE STAPLE SINGERS WOULD OPEN FOR HIM.
WOULD SHE PERFORM?
>> YEAH, SHE TRAVELED WITH HIM DURING THE MOVEMENT.
SHE WAS THE VOICE OF IT.
SHE SHIFTED HER PLATFORM AND HELPED INSPIRE THE PEOPLE DURING
THE MOVEMENT AT THE TIME.
THIS IS POWERFUL, YOU KNOW.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND YOU
ALSO RECENTLY HAD A CHANCE TO GO TO DETROIT TO HER CHILDHOOD HOME
AND THIS IS YOU WITH HENCE MANY OF HER FAMILY OUTSIDE HER HOME
IN DETROIT.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS THAT LIKE.
>> THAT WAS MY FAVORITE PART.
SO THERE IS HER GRANDDAUGHTER GRACE RIGHT THERE.
THIS IS HER CHILDHOOD HOME.
THEY SAID THEY WANTED ME TO TAKE THEM BACK TO HER CHILDHOOD HOME
AND HER GRAND BABY IS SAYING AIN'T NO WAY RIGHT THERE ON THE
STEPS AND GRACE AND VICTORY AND JORDAN.
THAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT BECAUSE WE REMINISCE ON OUR
FAVORITE MOMENTS OF HEARSE AND HER SONGS.
>> Stephen: YOU AND ARETHA SPOKE A LOT IN HER LAST TEN
YEARS OF HER LIFE.
WHAT WAS THE LAST THING Y'ALL TALKED ABOUT.
>> SHE TOLD ME WHAT SHE HAD EATEN.
>> Stephen: WOULD YOU MEAN SHARING.
>> IT WAS AS IF SHE COULD TASTE IT ON THE PHONE.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT MEAL IT WAS.
THEN SHE SANG IT TO ME ON THE CALL.
IT WAS BY THE ISLEY BROTHERS.
SHE SAID, IT'S THE ISLEY BROTHERS.
I SAID, YES, MA'AM, I KNOW.
AND SHE KNEW MY SON WAS COOKING.
I SAID, YOU KNOW THAT?
SHE SAID, YES.
>> Stephen: HOW LONG WAS THIS BEFORE SHE DIED?
>> MAYBE LESS THAN A WEEK.
I WAS ONE OF THE LAST PEOPLE TO HEAR FROM HER.
>> Stephen: MAYBE ONE OF THE LAST PEOPLE TO HEAR HER SING.
>> HEAR HER SING BECAUSE SHE SANG ON THE CALL.
>> Stephen: DID YOU EVER SEE HER SING AT THE KENNEDY CENTER
HONORS WHEN SHE SANG FOR CAROL KING WHEN SHE SANG FOR THE
KENNEDY CENTER HONORS?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: I WAS HOSTING IN THE WINGS WATCHING HER.
>> THAT'S A SPECIAL MOMENT TO HAVE.
>> Stephen: IT WAS.
IT WAS ONLY A FEW YEARS AGO, SHE COMES OUT WITH A POCKETBOOK AND
PUTS IT ON THE PIANO, WITH A BIG FUR.
AND SHE STARTS OFF SOFT AND LOW.
I SAID TO THE STAGE MANAGER, I WISH I HAD SEEN HER WHEN SHE
STILL HAD THE PIPES.
HE LOOKS AT ME AND 45 SECONDS LATER I TURNED TO HIM AND SAID,
I'M AN IDIOT.
SHE STOOD UP AND ABSOLUTELY BURNED THE HOUSE TO THE GROUND.
SHE HAD IT TO THE VERY END.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: EXTRAORDINARY.
YOU GOT TO WORK WITH CAROL KING HERSELF, KENNEDY CENTER HONOREE
AND THE WOMAN WHO WROTE "YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE A NATURAL
WOMAN."
YOU WROTE A SONG FOR THE MOVIE.
WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?
>> A DREAM TO WORK WITH CAROL KING.
JAMIE CAME AND SAID, CAROLE KING COULD WRITE THE TITLE TRACK.
SHE CAME IN.
IT WAS OVER ZOOM BECAUSE TO HAVE THE PANDEMIC.
WE HAD OUR CONVERSATIONS OVER ZOOM.
SHE SPOKE FROM HER PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH ARETHA AND SO
DID I.
IT PARALLELED WITH THE SONG.
SHE SAID, I GET TO SING AND WRITE ON IT?
WHAT IS THAT LIKE TO WORK WITH CAROLE KING BECAUSE WHO BETTER
THAN HAVE HER PUT THE BOW AND CHERRY ON TOP IN A TRIBUTE TO
ARETHA FRANKLIN.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: YOUR CONNECTION
BACK TO ARETHA FRANKLIN ACTUALLY GOES BACK TO BEFORE YOU EVEN
KNEW ARETHA FRANKLIN.
THE FIRST TIME MOST PEOPLE IN AMERICA GOT TO HEAR YOU SING WAS
YOUR AUDITION FOR AMERICAN IDOL.
YOUR BREAKOUT.
LET'S SHOW THEM.
>> WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO SING?
SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR ME BY ARETHA FRANKLIN.
>> Stephen: GO FOR IT.
♪ IT'S AN EVIL WIND THAT BLOWS NO GOOD, YEAH, YEAH ♪
♪ IT'S A SAD HEART THAT WON'T LOVE LIKE I KNOW IT SHOULD ♪
♪ OH HOW LONG YOU MUST BE, IT'S A SHAME IF YOU DON'T SHARE SOME
OF YOUR LOVE WITH ME ♪ ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
♪♪ >> DON'T YOU PLAY IT!
DON'T YOU DO IT!
>> Stephen: WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THAT SONG?
>> BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO A SINGING COMPETITION.
YOU GOT TO GET THE BEST IF YOU'RE GOING TO TRY TO BE IN A
COMPETITION SO WHO BETTER THAN TO GET ARETHA FRANKLIN.
THI WAS AT THE WOOL WORTH AS A KID.
I SAW THAT SONG AND I SAID, I'M SINGING ARETHA FRANKLIN.
AND NOW I'M PLAYING HER.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WHEN YOU LOOK BACK
AT THAT, DO YOU WANT TO GIVE ADVICE TO THAT YOUNG WOMAN ABOUT
HOW SHE'S SINGING THAT SONG?
ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THAT PERFORMANCE?
>> YOU KNOW, I WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS, OBVIOUSLY.
I WOULD SAY, JENNIFER, DON'T BACK YOURSELF UP, TOO.
BECAUSE I SANG THE LEAD AND BACKED MYSELF UP.
( SINGING AND BACKUP ) ( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: YOU CAN DO IT ALL.
YOU SAID YOU DON'T WANT JOHN TO PLAY THE SONG AND YOU JUMPED
RIGHT IN.
YOU WILL BE PERFORMING THE SAME VENUE AUGUST 2 IS, I BELIEVE,
BECAUSE YOU'RE BOTH DOING THE NEW YORK REOPENS CONCERT, THE
HOME COMING CONCERT CELEBRATION.
>> I'M SUCH A FAN.
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU GUYS EVER PERFORMED TOGETHER BEFORE?
>> WE HAVEN'T PERFORMED TOGETHER YET.
>> Jon: WE GOT TO DO IT.
I'M WAITING FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY.
I'M SUCH A FAN.
>> Stephen: LET'S TRY TO FIGURE OUT AN OPPORTUNITY IN
JUST A MINUTE.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A COMMERCIAL
BREAK.
DON'T GO ANYWHERE.
BACK WITH JENNIFER JENNIFER AND SHE IS GOING TO BURN THE PLACE
TO THE GROUND.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪♪