Jennifer Hudson and Reba McEntire shared memories of being intimidated when meeting Aretha Franklin. “She scared me to death. I wouldn’t even go up and talk to her,†McEntire said of meeting Franklin in Washington D.C. in the 80s. Hudson met Franklin opening for the Queen of Soul in 2003. “I remember giving her flowers,†Hudson told Buzzfeed. “I remember taking photos with her. Aretha was very quiet. She didn’t say much back then.†Hudson was handpicked by Franklin herself to star in the biopic Respect. And McEntire covered the song “Respect†in 1988. But on The Jennifer Hudson Show, both singers got to pay tribute to the woman who awed them so much back in the day.