Jennifer Hudson Brings Aretha’s Country Side to 2021 CMAs

Following her acclaimed performance as Aretha Franklin in the recent biopic Respect, Jennifer Hudson graced the 2021 CMA Awards with her presence at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday (Nov. 10) night.

With an Oscar, Grammy and Emmy, Jennifer Hudson certainly needs no justification, but Trisha Yearwood introduced the vocal powerhouse to explain why the peerless soul singer was performing at the Country Music Association Awards show.

“The connection between country, gospel and soul runs very deep,” Yearwood said. “The late, great Queen of Soul Aretha franklin knew this very well.”

Hudson – an unimpugnable vocal dynamo – hit the stage with “Night Life,” a Willie Nelson-penned song from the 1967 album Aretha Arrives. After that, she segued into “You Are My Sunshine” with Chris Stapleton – hot off his “Cold” performance – for a searing two-fer that left the CMAs shredded.