A slew of famous names came out in full force recently to pay tribute to the one and only Stevie Wonder. Songs in the Key of Life: An All-Star Grammy Salute aired last night (Feb. 16) and admirers like Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande and Usher all performed. The highlight of the show came when Beyoncé took on a medley of tunes including "Fingertips," "Master Blaster (Jammin')" and "Higher Ground." The pop superstar brought out Ed Sheeran and Gary Clark Jr. for the performance.
It was all up to Bey to get the crowd on its feet and ready to jam. She opened with the call-and-response number "Fingertips," demanding the audience clap its hands. The singer, surrounded by male backup dancers, moved with ease across the stage before introducing Sheeran. The pair linked up for a funky, reggae-fueled rendition of "Jammin'" with Sheeran strumming his guitar and adding some vocals. They transitioned seamlessly into "Higher Ground," bringing out Clark to take over on lead guitar. A student of Wonder's, Clark ripped into the first verse with his smooth vocals before Bey took over. Check out the exciting segment below.
Chris Martin of Coldplay, Janelle Monae and Willie Nelson also performed at the tribute show. Artists spoke about Wonder's impact on music during the ceremony. The soul singer has collected 22 Grammy awards since 1973, his most recent coming in 2006 for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals with Tony Bennett.
"I just want to say to Stevie -- Stevie Wonder -- you're just one of the most incredible musicians I've ever met. One of the nicest guys. So sweet. We've got a great relationship," Paul McCartney, who collaborated with Wonder on "Ebony and Ivory," said about the singer in a taped message.
As Consequence of Sound points out, Wonder will hit the next month for an additional leg of his Songs in the Key of Life tour. He'll kick things off Mar. 17 in Denver and wrap it all up April 12 in Brooklyn.
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