Andra Day Covers Minnie Riperton’s “Memory Lane” For 2024 NAACP Image Awards In Memoriam

Andra Day graced the Shrine Auditorium stage Saturday (March 16) night for the 55th NAACP Image Awards. The Oscar nominated songstress performed a stunning cover of Minnie Riperton’s “Memory Lane” during the show’s In Memoriam.

Late icons such as Clarence Avant, Tina Turner, Andre Braugher, Lance Riddick, and Harry Belafonte were honored during the tribute, with Day hitting every high-note as photos of our fallen heroes graced the auditorium screens.

Day’s performance comes one month after she hit a high note with the Black National Anthem ahead of the 2024 Super Bowl. While many appreciated the undeniable talent leaving it all on the field, many conservative commentators felt the need to express their disapproval.

The day of, Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz shared a dialogue he had with his wife about why they wouldn’t be watching the San Fran vs. Kansas City match-up, claiming, “They’re desecrating America’s National Anthem by playing something called the ‘Black National Anthem.’”

Conservative pundit CJ Pearson added to the conversation, “Before tonight’s Super Bowl, as a young black man and proud American, let me make myself clear: There is only ONE national anthem. As there is only ONE United States of America. And it’s for EVERYONE – white, black, yellow, and even maroon. The Left’s agenda of division isn’t just needless; it’s exhausting.”

The performance marked the fourth time the anthem was presented ahead of a Super Bowl match-up. Alicia Keys performed the song in a pre-recorded video before the 2021 bout, followed by Mary Mary in 2022 and Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph in 2023.