Mariah Carey felt "very intimidated" when she duetted with her idol Aretha Franklin.
The ‘Hero’ hitmaker has opened up about the day the pair hit the stage together for VH1’s ‘Divas Live’ in 1998, which saw them perform the late Queen of Soul’s hit song ‘Chain of Fools’.
The pair only got the chance to rehearse once, hours before going on stage, and the 48-year-old megastar confessed she was so nervous, she didn’t want to do the gig.
Recalling what it was like performing with the music icon – who passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 76 in August – she spilled: "I was very intimidated and didn’t want to perform with her.
"Everybody else was like, ‘Let me have it.’
"And I’m not saying anything against anybody else, but I felt there was a thing where it was like they wanted to be able to say they took her on.
"I was like, ‘I’ll be with the background singers, okay?’ That’s the Queen of Soul."
Mariah didn’t divulge what exactly took place behind the scenes, but hinted there was some drama.
Doing an impression of the ‘Respect’ hitmaker, she told Andy Cohen on ‘Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen’: "She said to me, ‘Mariah they’re playing games, and I’m not having the games. So we won’t be rehearsing tonight."
The ‘We Belong Together’ hitmaker then hinted that she may spill all about the infamous event in her memoir, teasing: "I’m working on my memoirs."
When Aretha sadly passed away, Mariah took to Twitter to pay tribute to the ‘Natural Woman’ singer and thanked her for the huge impact she had on her career.
In a series of tweets, she said: "You showed me I could sing the songs I wanted to sing and bring God with me.
You’ve inspired millions everywhere yet never left home, never left church. Today the entire world mourns your home-going and celebrates all the brilliance you left behind.
"I will forever cherish the moments I spent in your presence. Your indelible impact was earned not only by your incomparable voice but by your bigger than life personality, wit and humor.
"I say a big prayer for you. You will forever have all our respect. (sic)"
Mariah Carey was ‘very intimidated’ by Aretha Franklin
