Smokey Robinson took the stage at Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for The Queen of Soul, a tribute concert honoring late soul singer, Aretha Franklin.
Taped on January 13 and officially airing on CBS on March 10, Robinson expressed to the crowd how much he missed his “little sister.”
According to the Associated Press he stated, “she was the girl next door. In fact, she was the girl right around the corner who became a lifelong friend, who became a musical icon.”
Robinson recalled the first time he met Franklin when she was six years old and referred to the soul singer a “game-changing sensation” with one of the “greatest voices” of all time.
“She was a gifted songwriter, a fantastic musician and a great political activist,” he said. “But for me, she was always my little sister who I loved so much. I still love her so much. But she’s gone home now to be with her father. I believe she has been reunited with her entire immediate family.”
Several musicians such as Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Celine Dion, and Patti LaBelle performed some of Franklin’s biggest hits during the program set to air this Sunday.
In 2018, Aretha Franklin passed away at age 76 at her home in Detroit from pancreatic cancer.
