Jenifer Lewis: ‘Aretha Franklin told me I had singing chops’

Actress Jenifer Lewis was left stunned when Aretha Franklin complimented her on her singing skills after she sneaked into the Queen of Soul’s birthday party.
The Black-ish star has been a huge fan of the late singer ever since she was young and she got to pay tribute to Aretha by performing with Stevie Wonder and others at her funeral in August (18). Lewis reveals she was able to meet Franklin when she was still alive at her birthday celebration, where she took the chance to show off her own signing talents.
“(Aretha) was wonderful,’ she told U.S. chat show The Talk on Tuesday (20Nov18). “Because you know she sang me through my childhood.”
“(One year) I sneaked into her birthday party… and Aretha had her (food) plate (in her hand) and I just had to have my Aretha moment,” she added. “I said, ‘Alright Aretha’. She turned around with her plate, she said, ‘You know, you know,’ and that was it. I said, ‘Aretha, can I sing a song…?’ She told me, ‘Yeah, go’. I got up and sang a song called Black Don’t Crack and then I sneaked back over there and I said, ‘Did you like it Miss Franklin?’ She says, ‘Jenifer, I didn’t know you had chops like that…’ Now you know couldn’t nobody touch me after Aretha Franklin said I had chops (sic).”
Jenifer also insists she was shocked when she was asked to join Stevie onstage to sing backup, but she jumped at the chance to be next to him.