The George Michael tribute we saw during the 59th Annual Grammy Awards was originally envisioned another way — a way that included Adele, Beyonce, Rihanna and James Cordon.
Adele performed an emotional rendition of Michael’s 1996 hit, “Fastlove,” at the Grammy’s. According to Adele, George Michael’s family tapped her for the tribute.
“[The family] didn’t want a tribute at first, and they came back and were very specific that it be me,” she told Billboard.
However, George Michael’s longtime manager, Michael Lippman, had a vision of his own for the tribute. He would tap Grammy host James Corden, whose “Carpool Karaoke” was launched with George Michael as a guest in the passenger seat, Adele, Beyonce and Rihanna. Each singer would tribute George Michael with a song from a different tempo and era. “Freedom” and “One More Try” were of the songs Lippman wanted to include in his star studded George Michael mash-up. The idea began to come into fruition but according to the show’s executive producer, Ken Ehrlich, it quickly became evident “how passionate Adele was and that she had a vision for what she wanted to do with it.”
Adele went on to work hands on with representatives of George Michael and the show’s production in preparation for the tribute.
“It was important to her and she was fully committed,” says Ehrlich.
Do you think Adele shot down a tribute involving Beyonce and Rihanna out of spite, or do you think she felt emotionally tied to the tribute and wanted to tackle it herself.
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