December 6, 2015. The Kennedy Center Opera House. Washington, D.C. A big part of the annual Kennedy Center Honors is watching the honorees witnessing the performances celebrating their career achievements. Singer/songwriter Carole King had no idea who was going to walk out next when the Queen of Soul emerged from stage left. King’s face showed her excitement, rivaled only by the reaction upon seeing Aretha Franklin sitting down at the piano. As the song began, the entire Opera House turned to see King’s mouth agape. “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” brought tears to the president’s eyes and ended with a standing ovation—with genuine worries the balcony wouldn’t hold up from all of the dancing.
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Looking out on the morning rain
I used to feel so uninspired
And when I knew I had to face another day
Lord, it made me feel so tired
[RELATED: Behind the Song: Gerry Goffin & Carole King, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”]
The Event
The weekend-long, invitation-only ceremony began on Saturday, December 5, with the Chairman’s Luncheon at the Kennedy Center. The State Department hosted a reception and dinner, which the Secretary of State presided over. The rainbow-ribboned medallions representing “a spectrum of many skills within the performing arts” were presented by the Chairman of the board.
On Sunday, the Obamas hosted a reception at the White House, followed by the Honors Gala performance hosted by Stephen Colbert at the Kennedy Center.
Before the day I met you
Life was so unkind
You’re the key
To my peace of mind
The Honorees
Carole King, filmmaker George Lucas, actress Rita Moreno, conductor Seiji Ozawa, and actress Cicely Tyson. The Eagles asked to defer their honor to 2016, as Glenn Frey was recovering from a surgery. President Barack Obama joined First Lady Michelle Obama late after addressing the nation in a live telecast from the White House.
‘Cause you make me feel
You make me feel
You make me feel
Like a natural woman
(Woman)
The Performers
John Kerry delivered a spoken tribute, Chilina Kennedy and Scott J. Campbell from Broadway’s Beautiful sang “So Far Away,” Paul Anthony Stewart delivered a spoken tribute, Janelle Monae sang “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” and “One Fine Day,” James Taylor sang “Up on the Roof,” Sara Bareilles sang “You’ve Got a Friend,” Aretha Franklin sang “Natural Woman.” The finale was “I Feel the Earth Move” by everyone.
When my soul was in the lost and found
You came along to claim it
I didn’t know just what was wrong with me
Till your kiss helped me name it
The Purse
When Franklin walked out onstage, she was carrying her handbag. King blew her kisses from the balcony, and Franklin reciprocated. The televised broadcast edited it out, but she placed the clutch on the piano directly in front of her and began to warm up her voice with a few scales.
In 2016, Alex Frank of Vogue magazine asked her about the purse, “Wherever I go is where my purse goes. The dressing room didn’t have a lock on it, and I didn’t want to just leave it with anyone. It was small, and I didn’t think it would be very obvious, so I just laid it on the piano.”
When ready to sing, she hit the keys and launched into the song. King’s reaction was pure joy as she tried to catch her breath, rocking back and forth to the groove of the song. Franklin continued singing as Obama wiped away tears. The crowd was clearly moved by the moment as they watched the songwriter being honored with such an amazing performance. King sang along with her own lyrics as Franklin sang the song she’d performed hundreds of times since she first recorded it in 1967.
Now I’m no longer doubtful
Of what I’m livin’ for
And if I make you happy
I don’t need to do more
The Coat
Halfway through the song, Franklin stood up from the piano and walked to center stage. She stripped off her fur coat, sending the audience into a further frenzy. If they weren’t standing already, they were now. It brought King to her feet as she urged the singer on from the balcony.
In the same interview, Franklin was asked about the coat, “I wasn’t sure about the air factor onstage, and air can mess with the voice from time to time. And I didn’t want to have that problem that evening. It’s been a long time since I’ve done Kennedy Center, and I wanted to have a peerless performance. Once I determined that the air was all right while I was singing, I said, “Let’s get out of this coat! I’m feeling it. Let’s go!”
Oh baby, what ya done to me
(Whatcha done to me)
Made me feel so good inside
(Good inside)
And I just wanna be close to you
(Wanna be)
You make me feel so alive
As the song concluded, Franklin soared into the higher register as the crowd continued to show their appreciation. Frank asked her what it felt like to hit those notes, “It’s very satisfying. To perform the way you want to. And the way you know that you can. But you know, I’m not being funny. My voice was down a little bit. And I thought about what I would’ve done if my voice had been exactly where I wanted it to be. There’s a lot of air in Kennedy Center, and no matter where I went, the air was on. Even when I was waiting in the wings to come on, there was air there. I couldn’t escape it. So, it slightly affected my voice and my range. I would’ve sang even more.”
‘Cause you make me feel
You make me feel
You make me feel
Like a natural woman
(Woman)
Other performers included Rosie Perez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Carrie Fisher, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Miranda Lambert, Tyler Perry, Viola Davis, Itzhak Perlman, and Yo-Yo Ma.
Photo: Kris Connor/Getty Images
