Jemal Countess/Getty Images; Jason Merritt/Getty Images
With Independence Day on the horizon, we've been thinking about how proud we are to be Americans. But what really drives it home is the news that Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin will be performing in Philadelphia this month, accompanied by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on piano. Random, and yet, quintessentially American.
Both Franklin, 68, and Rice, 55, are groundbreaking ladies: one is the first African-American woman to be a U.S. secretary of state, the other is the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. And while their politics couldn't be more different -- Rice was a Bush cabinet member and Franklin's a lifelong Democrat who sang at Obama's inauguration -- the women share a talent for music and a passion for making the world a better place.
Franklin is calling the one-night-only concert "a bipartisan effort for our favorite charities," with the proceeds going to support inner-city children and performing-arts education.
The million-dollar question, of course, is: What will they be playing? Well, Rice, who's actually an accomplished classical pianist, will be performing Mozart selections. And Franklin will sing from her new album, A Woman Falling Out of Love. But the press release promises that they'll also be duetting on "Natural Woman" and "Say a Little Prayer." And since Condi has said that one of her favorite songs is "R-E-S-P-E-C-T," we'll be crossing our fingers for that one. We're also crossing our fingers for both of them to get swept up in the moment and start dancing, Blues Brothers-style, but that's probably too much to ask.
If you plan to be in Philadelphia on July 27th, you can order tickets here. Lawn seats start at a very reasonable $24.
Would you enjoy seeing Aretha Franklin sing with Condoleezza Rice on piano? Chime in below!
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