Aretha Franklin returned to the #1 spot on the pop charts for 2 weeks in April of 1987 with her smash duet with George Michael “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me.”
Tina Turner was originally pitched the song, but she turned it down. Aretha Franklin chose the song and George Michael (who was the biggest pop star on the planet at the time) was tapped to join her on the song. Arista Records chief Clive Davis suggested the song as a duet.
That decision paid off. The song went to #1 during the last two weeks of April in 1987, and it won the Grammy for ‘Best R&B Peformance by a Duo or Group With Vocal.” The song was Aretha Franklin’s only #1 in Great Britain. It also topped the chart in Australia, Ireland and the Netherlands.
Get more Aretha Franklin on iHeartRadio, keyword Aretha Franklin.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]