The tribute concert, which is happening on Tuesday and will be hosted by comedian and actor Maya Rudolph, will take viewers down memory lane with special performances of a few of Prince’s most beloved songs. Performers expected to belt out Prince classics include Beck, Gary Clark Jr., Common, Foo Fighters, H.E.R. Juanes, Chris Martin, Miguel, St. Vincent, Mavis Staples, Usher, Juanes, John Legend and Earth, Wind and Fire. Former Prince collaborators like Sheila E. And the Revolution are also slated to perform.
Speaking with Los Angeles Times, Rudolph—whose Prince cover band Princess is also set to perform during the showcase—raved over the late singer and the impact that the Purple One had on her.
“I definitely have always been drawn to his voice. He was a perfect musician. It’s like when you have a tour guide and you know that they’re amazing—you just say, ‘All right, wherever you want to take me, let’s go.’ And that feeling carried through my entire experience of listening to Prince, not to mention when I got to see him live. When somebody’s that proficient at what they do, it’s almost relaxing,” she said.
With as many chart-topping hits and highly acclaimed deep cuts as Prince had, it’s anyone’s guess as to which tunes will be performed during the two-hour special. Only a few details have been revealed about the event thus far, like Miguel’s plans to sing the fan-favorite “I Would Die 4 U.” John Legend is also expected to take on the ballad “Nothing Compares 2 U,” a song Prince originally recorded in 1984 but was unheard until Sinead O’Conner’s own cover set the charts on fire in 1990.
Along with performances, a few A-listers will also appear in the special and highlight some of Prince’s most memorable moments including Naomi Campbell, Misty Copeland, Fred Armisen, FKA Twigs and the late artist’s longtime friend and collaborator Jimmy Jam.
The special, which was originally recorded just days after the 2020 Grammy awards in January, will air live on CBS on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. Viewers can live stream the program via CBS All Access streaming platform. Folks with other services like Hulu and YouTube TV can also catch the special on their devices.
