ARETHA FRANKLIN - FRANKLIN HONOURED AT GRAMMYS TRIBUTE

Soul legend ARETHA FRANKLIN has been honoured at a music industry tribute as part of this month's Grammy Awards celebrations. John Legend, Herbie Hancock, Shirley Caesar, the Blues Brothers and Bill Cosby all took to the stage in Los Angeles on Friday (08Feb08) to pay tribute to the 65-year-old, who was named 2008's Person of the Year by MusiCares, a Recording Academy charity supporting music education. Civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton told guests, "There may be a debate about who is the president, but there is no doubt about who is the queen." Franklin is set to perform at the Grammy Awards on Sunday (10Feb08), where she is nominated for her 18th award for Best Gospel Performance for a duet with R+B star Mary J. Blige.