Grace Franklin, the granddaughter of the late Aretha Franklin, was seen on the twentieth season of ‘American Idol’ on Sunday evening. The fifteen-year-old grandchild of the Queen of Soul auditioned to participate in the popular singing competition.
“I was very close with my grandmother”
“I was very close to my grandmother, I always went to her,” Grace explained to judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry about her relationship with Aretha. “I don’t think I understood correctly that she was known worldwide, because to me she was always just a grandmother,” said the granddaughter.
Grace sang Lauryn Hill’s “Killing Me Softly” before her audition. However, her portrayal didn’t blow the judges all away. According to Luke, her performance was “sleepy and understated.” The girl was then asked by Katy if she wanted to sing another song, after which Grace performed her grandmother’s song ‘Ain’t No Way’.
This performance did not appeal to all judges either. Although Katy still worked hard with Grace to do everything she could to take her to the next level, Lionel thought it best that she not continue, but continue practicing at home and try again later. He also didn’t want to be the one who would let her through now and then see her fall right after. So the adventure ended prematurely for Grace.
However, according to Katy, this was not the best decision. “Give her a chance,” she cried. “I’m sure Aretha wasn’t the Aretha we know when she first walked in either, but someone said she wanted to work with her and develop her talent further.” The singer then stormed off angrily, jokingly saying she quit the program and went “to the bar.”