While in heavy promotion of his 2010 Grammy-winning joint album ‘Wake Up!’ with hip hop group The Roots, John Legend was tapped by American Express for their popular Youtube-aired ‘AmEx Unstaged’ concert series.
As expected, their segment primarily featuring live renditions of cuts from ‘Wake Up’ – the socially conscious set from Legend and Roots that mainly featured cover songs from the 60s and 70s about social awareness and issues. However, the live set saw Legend lent a helping hand from fellow Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson to cover gospel classic ‘Be Grateful’ (the Hawkins Family).
For Hudson, much like Legend, saw her humble beginnings in the church (gospel) and frequently revisited tunes from the genre in her solo live sets. The combination of Legend and Hudson, however, saw magic unlike much we’ve seen in this electropop dominated music landscape. With Legend on keys and Hudson soaring to the rafters, the crowd sat in awe of the dynamic duo putting their 2010 spin on this gospel gem.
While both singers are due to release albums in 2013, we can’t help but hope the future sees their musical paths cross once more.
Your thoughts?