Gladys Knight, Ledisi to Honor Aretha Franklin at AMAs

Aretha Franklin

FILE – In this April 19, 2017, file photo, Aretha Franklin performs at the world premiere of “Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives” at Radio City Music Hall, during the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — The American Music Awards will honor the Queen of Soul next month.

Dick clark productions tells The Associated Press that Gladys Knight, Ledisi, Mary Mary, Donnie McClurkin, CeCe Winans and musical director Rickey Minor will pay tribute to Aretha Franklin’s gospel roots and her iconic album, “Amazing Grace,” at the Oct. 9 event. It will air live on ABC from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Franklin died last month. She won six AMAs throughout her career and even hosted the show in 1976 and 1983.

Sabrina Owens, Franklin’s niece and the executor of her estate, says in a statement: “When I heard some of the initial ideas for the tribute, I knew without a doubt that this tribute will go down as one of the best in American music.”

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