Aretha Franklin’s grandbaby has musical genes running all through her DNA. But was it enough to impress “American Idol” judges, Lionel Richie, Katie Perry, and Luke Bryan? Welp, let’s see *Video is below*…
Initially, Judges Were Surprised
When 15-year old Grace Franklin — daughter of Kecalf Cunningham, Aretha Franklin’s son — stepped out in front of the “American Idol” panel Sunday, February 27, 2022, it was an all-or-nothin’ kinda moment. She surprised the judges when she disclosed her musical royalty lineage:
“My grandma is Aretha Franklin. … I was really close with my grandma. I got to see her all the time. I used to travel with her a lot,” Grace said about Aretha Franklin. “I don’t think I could fully grasp the fact that she was known worldwide, because to me she was always just ‘Grandma.'”
Grace continued:
“I feel like people expect me to sing exactly like her, but I am my own artist and I have my own voice,” Grace confessed.
Before getting down to business, Lionel Richie shared a few personal stories with Grace about her grandmother:
“Stop right there! That’s your grandma!?”, Richie asked Grace. “No one knows this about your grandma but I’m going to tell you. When you were walking in the house, you think, ‘Oh we gonna talk about music, are we gonna talk about the arrangement?’ And she goes, ‘Lionel, I’ve got some collard greens I’ve made.'”
Richie continued:
“You are from a blessed family. I have many messages on my answering machine [from Aretha] that I kept.”
While Katie Perry wanted to know if it was true that the Queen of Soul “kept a little pistol in her purse,” referring to a long-standing rumor about Aretha. Grace told her that wasn’t true, and that her grandmom kept all “the money” in her purse and kept it with her at all times.
Not All Of The Judges’ Were Impressed By Her Performance
Then the pressure was on for Grace to hold her own…just like her iconic grandmother could. She sang Lauryn Hill’s version of “Killing Me Softly.” Luke Bryan said her performance – though on key – was “sleepy and subdued.”
That’s when Perry asked Grace to sing another song. So Grace chose her grandmom’s song, “Ain’t No Way,” which was a better delivery and display of her vocals, but still…Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan were unmoved.
Bryan felt that Grace needed to “add command” to her performance, and therefore voted “No.” Perry completely disagreed with Bryan, telling Grace, “I think you have stardust and sparkle all over you. You are beautiful, and if you’ll trust us, if you’ll listen to us, if you’ll put in the work, I think we can find that next level with you.”
When it came time for Lionel Richie to cast his vote, it was evident that he wasn’t really feelin’ Grace’s performance either. Richie suggested to Grace that she do a little fine tuning on her performance and re-try-out next year:
“I think the best thing for you in life is to take a shot at going backwards. Go back and get a running start and come back at this again,” Richie said.
Katie Perry then got a lil’ frustrated with Richie and Bryan, urging them to give Grace “a shot”:
“Give her a shot, give her a chance!” Perry snapped at Richie. “I’m sure Aretha wasn’t Aretha when she walked into the room, but somebody said, ‘Yes, I want to work with you. I want to develop you.'”
Before briefly walking off the set, Perry continued:
“I will lay down on the ground. I quit this show. I’m going to the bar.”
Ultimately, Grace didn’t make it through to the next round of auditions. However, afterwards, Lionel Richie displayed the same level of compassion he’s oftentimes shown contestants on the show. He walked over to Grace and gave her a hug, while simultaneously encouraging her to try out for “American Idol” next year.
Watch Grace Franklin’s American Idol” Audition
At 15 just years old, Grace Franklin has a lot of room for growth — learning to build her stage presence and vocal delivery. Something tells us Queen Franklin’s grandbaby has that fighter spirit, just like her grandmother. So we’ll likely be hearing much more from this brave young queen in the near future.
