Aretha Franklin Steals The Show While Performing "Natural Women" At The Kennedy Center

Aretha Shuts The Kennedy Center Down !

BHR Hollywood Reports............The 38th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, held on Dec. 6 in Washington, D.C., had its broadcast on CBS on Tuesday night, where this year’s recipients – Rita Moreno, George Lucas, Cicely Tyson, Seiji Ozawa and Carole King – enjoyed an evening of heartfelt tributes.

Aretha Franklin Performing
 At The Kennedy Center 

 But one particular performance took down the house: Aretha Franklin singing her 1967 single “(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman,” dedicated to the song’s co-writer Carole King.

Franklin blew kisses in the air in a full-length fur coat and glimmering earrings, sparkling clutch in hand. Audience reactions were predictably awed: Barack Obama seemed to tear up before Franklin even got to the chorus, and an ecstatic-looking King sang along.

Strutting onto the stage wearing a full-length fur coat and carrying

"The Queen Of Soul "Aretha Franklin 

a clutch purse, Franklin, in a move that even shocked King, then sat down at the piano to accompany herself for the first part of the song.

Franklin hadn’t even gotten through the first verse before President Barack Obama started wiping tears from his eyes.

Eventually, the legendary diva ditched the piano – and the fur coat – to stand center stage.

By then it was hard to know what was more entertaining: Franklin herself, or watching her enthralled audience, which included Gina Rodriguez, Viola Davis, Rosie Perez, and, most notably, King.