Legendary singer Anita Baker was brought to tears Sunday night as she was honored at the BET Awards.
Baker, 60, was visibly moved as Marsha Ambrosius, Ledisi, Yolanda Adams and the evening’s host, Jamie Foxx, performed a medley of her hits.
Foxx kicked off the tribute to this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, by playing the piano, singing and using a little spoken word to describe how dating has changed since Baker’s ballads brought romance to the music charts in the 1980s.
Ambrosius performed a soulful rendition of Caught Up in the Rapture from Baker’s album Rapture.
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Ledisi followed and had Baker dancing in the front row of the Microsoft Theater, when she performed the singer’s hit single Sweet Love.
Adams brought the house down with You Bring Me Joy. Cameras cut to Baker who nodded along, touched her hand to her heart and wiped away tears during the gospel singer’s performance.
Baker used her BET Awards speech to encourage veteran artists to support newcomers in the industry.
“All I would ask is that the music be allowed to play, that singers are allowed to sing, and rappers are allowed to rap, and poets are allowed to rhyme,” Baker said. “I would ask the singers that are veterans here, when you see the young ones, tap them on the shoulder, they need you.”
Baker rose to stardom in 1986 with the release of Rapture. In January, the eight-time Grammy winner announced on social media that she was embarking on a farewell tour this year.
You can watch the tributes to Anita Baker below.
