In 1998 soul singer Aretha Franklin had just a moment’s notice before she took to the stage to sing Nessun Dorma after operatic sensation Luciano Pavarotti had to pull out due to a sore throat. Sting introduces the star.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmXkEhs00lo

Twenty two minutes after she was asked to cover for her ailing friend, Luciano Pavarotti, Aretha Franklin takes the stage to perform the legendary aria “Nessun Dorma”, a piece she sang previously a few days earlier (in her own register, I might add), without changing Pavarotti’s key – which is no minor achievement. It begets one of the most extraordinary musical moments in awards show history. It brought the audience to a thunderous ovation.