Before any of us ever heard Josh Groban’s name, he was a teenager singing “The Prayer” with Celine Dion at rehearsals for the 1999 Grammy Awards as a stand-in for an absent Andrea Bocelli. By the end of 2001, he released his own album, including a rendition of that same song with fellow budding singer Charlotte Church. That album reached the Billboard 200’s top 10 and went 5x platinum.
It was Groban’s second album, 2004’s Closer, that rocketed him into another stratosphere and helped him make an indelible mark on music. The album’s lead single, a cover of Secret Garden’s “You Raise Me Up,” became his signature song after it was released on September 10, 2004. He went on to perform it at the Superbowl and Oprah’s 50th birthday show. His booming baritone voice is unmistakable and his talent undisputed. Everyone was taking notice, including Aretha Franklin.
In the wake of Aretha’s death in 2018, Josh Groban spoke to Billboard and recounted his often-brief, but memorable experiences with Aretha over the years. They first met at The White House in the lead-up to the 2006 Kennedy Center Honors. He recalled a warm, but quick exchange where he introduced himself and his mother, who was his date that night.
Fast forward to 2008: He’s in the crowd as Aretha was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year during Grammy week. Mid-speech, she caught his eye and went “Is that Josh Groban? I met his mother at the White House.” It floored him.
The following year, both singers were enlisted as performers for Mandela Day at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, a day of action commemorating the 91st birthday of Nelson Mandela on July 18, 2009. It became their sole point of musical convergence. At Aretha’s request, they rehearsed and duetted on “You Raise Me Up.” It’s an expected, but incredible musical moment.
Prior to the performance, they rehearsed backstage in her dressing room. He was struck by her aurora, and how open she was to collaboration and trying new things. Her family was in the dressing room with them as they rehearsed and worked out their parts. “There was warmth every time you were around her,” he later said. The most important lesson he learned from Aretha came when they got on stage: “When her microphone goes up to her mouth, your microphone drops to the floor.” He added, “when (she sang, it made me think), I have nothing to offer this…I just want to listen and… be a fan from this close.”
Converging their voices may at first seem like it could yield uncertain results, but they blend together beautifully. There’s spine-tingling magic in this live duet. Despite fighting a mild cold (there’s a cough or two and a touch of rasp audible at moments) Aretha is at her best; steeping her entirety in the lyrics. It’s not far-fetched to think that she’s found a faith-based message in the song. There’s been much conversation about the actual inspiration for the song, which remains unclear. With lyrics that give credence to a “you” that elevates to a greater potential, it’s not difficult to consider that “you” being a Higher Power. For someone like Aretha Franklin, who didn’t just have a deep-rooted faith, but also was incredibly adept at deriving and connecting God to lyrics otherwise secular, this was low-hanging fruit.
Groban initially takes the lead but yields to Aretha. They share the verse, with him beginning and Aretha taking the second half. Their styles are opposite: he remains wholly faithful to the melody. In true Aretha fashion, she follows her impeccable instinct for bending time and melody to fit her connection to the song and find things we just don’t hear, along with occasionally interjecting and accentuating that belonged to the choir (which chimes in on the final chorus). What’s particularly striking about this performance is that the arrangement remains faithful to Groban’s. Akin to what she did with “Nessun dorma” at the 1998 Grammy Awards, Aretha finds ways to put her stamp on “You Raise Me Up” without rearranging the song, which was a hallmark of her biggest covers.
When they reach the chorus, their eyes meet and their voices converge for the first time. The harmonies are hair-raising and their voices blend together beautifully. Aside from the chorus, they continue to apply their individual stylings to the song, and they’re entirely complimentary. His allegiance to the melody allows her to seamlessly incorporate her melismatic reinforcements. Aretha’s additions sound right at home, as if they were meant to be there. Only ears like Aretha’s can hear that potential to enhance an already-great song.
As the song fades out, the smile beaming from Aretha’s face and her approving nods say it all about this performance. She’s clearly thrilled. And he’s right there with her, hands joined as they hit their final notes. “Dream of a lifetime… the greatest honor of my life,” he says. Later, he called the moment a dream duet that he hopes to one day tell his grandkids about.
Strangely, it’s omitted from the official Mandela Day YouTube page. Thankfully, it was uploaded to YouTube the day after the performance in 2009 by a user that, according to the description, thinks Aretha ruined the song. 🥴
For further listening, a member of the crowd also uploaded their footage. It further emphasizes the crowd’s thrill at hearing these two voices join forces.
365 Days of Aretha Franklin 