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There is never a Grammy night without at least one or two crises that need to be managed, but for experienced show producer Ken Ehrlich, the 1998 ceremony was especially tumultuous.
Old Dirty Bastard rushed the stage as “Sunny Came Home” won Song of the Year for Shawn Colvin. During Bob Dylan’s performance, a shirtless party crasher with “Soy Bomb” painted on his chest stole the spotlight.
But nothing compared to the last-minute changes Ehrlich was forced to make when famed singer Luciano Pavarotti, who was scheduled to sing “Nessun Dorma,” came in sick on music’s biggest night, necessitating Aretha Franklin’s regal rescue.
“I don’t believe it was more than five or six minutes in,” Ehrlich told The Post. “He stated, ‘I am ill tonight. I am unable to come sing for you. I pledge to return next year. What will you do?’ And I thought, “Right now, I’m going to get off the f—ing phone and figure out what to do.” However, I responded, “Well, thank you for calling. I hope you feel well.’ I hung up the phone and thought, “I need to see if I can get Aretha Franklin, so I should get moving.”
What followed is Grammy history.
Franklin saved the evening by substituting for Pavarotti, delivering a unique interpretation of the aria from Puccini’s opera “Turandot” – a performance that garnered her much R-E-S-P-E-C-T from both the classical and pop communities and remains a Grammy Awards highlight 25 years later.
The night was February 25, 1998, and the renowned Radio City Music Hall in New York was the scene. Back then, Music’s Biggest Night took place on Wednesday rather than Sunday, and the awards were commemorating their 40th year.
Franklin, who won a staggering twenty Grammy Awards during her career, was originally scheduled to appear in “Blues Brothers 2000” alongside her co-stars Dan Aykroyd, John Goodman, and Joe Morton. In addition to performing “Respect,” she was to present the award for Best New Artist, which was won by “I Won’t Wait” vocalist Paula Cole. Meanwhile, Pavarotti was slated to perform the classic “Nessun Dorma” at a MusiCares benefit, which Franklin had performed two nights earlier at the Waldorf Astoria in honor to the Italian.
“Pavarotti had attended the previous day’s rehearsal, and we all got chills just imagining what it would be like on Grammy night,” said Ehrlich. There were members of the New York Philharmonic and at least a fifty-member choir.
But suddenly, at the absolute last possible moment, Pavarotti left the stage.
Audrey LaCatis, who worked as a Grammy talent coordinator, received a call in the trailer and hurried over to Ehrlich, as this was before the era of cell phones.
“We discussed the fact that Aretha had recently played [‘Nessun Dorma’] at MusiCares, so we said, ‘Let’s see if we can convince her to perform it.’ And [after Ehrlich met with Pavarotti], we sprinted to her dressing room.”
LaCatis, who formerly worked as Franklin’s publicist at Arista Records, determined that it would be preferable for her to make the request alone in order to “not freak her out.”
LaCatis stated, “They were putting the finishing touches on her hair.” “Then I asked, ‘Can you believe it?’” Pavarotti has canceled; he will not be present. He is ill.’ She exclaimed, “Oh no, what are you two going to do?” And I just said, “Why don’t you do it?”
Franklin agreed thankfully, but that was only the beginning.
Next, there was a mad race to locate the conductor in the Radio City basement. However, his arrangement, which they played for Franklin via cassette tape and boombox, was not in her key.
It was three keys off from how Aretha had performed it two nights prior, according to Ehrlich. “And there was no time to change the orchestra and choir’s key. Therefore, Aretha had to make adjustments.”
Ehrlich escorted Franklin to the stage after altering the script for Sting to introduce Franklin instead of Pavarotti.
“Typically, a stage manager would do that,” he remarked, “but I was so appreciative that she agreed to do it.” And I was simply f—ing ecstatic.”
Franklin surpassed expectations, performing the song with her signature vocal flourishes — and soul.
“Everyone in the room was dumbfounded, as if to say, ‘Oh my God, are you kidding me?’” Ehrlich remembered. Millions of folks at home were largely unaware that Aretha Franklin could sing opera.
“It was so affecting that I cried. Gwendolyn Quinn, Aretha Franklin’s Arista Records publicist at the time, remarked, “I was just so incredibly proud of her.” “It was certainly a time of pride for black people. It was a moment of pride for black women.”
The next day, Arista Records was inundated with flowers congratulating the Queen on her royal performance, including a bouquet from Eddie Murphy that made Aretha Franklin very thrilled.
“When I told her about the flowers provided by Eddie Murphy, she asked, ‘Eddie sent me flowers?’ Quinn ensured that each and every shipment was delivered to Franklin’s hotel so that she could see and smell them.
Twenty years before her death, the then-55-year-old vocalist delivered a bravura performance.
“‘Nessun Dorma’ was one of those performances that would solidify her legacy,” Quinn stated. Her performance that evening set a new bar for vocalists worldwide, for everyone everywhere.
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