Gladys Knight, Ledisi to honour Aretha Franklin at AMAs

New York — The American Music Awards will honour the Queen of Soul next month.

Dick Clark productions tells The Associated Press that Gladys Knight, Ledisi, Mary Mary, Donnie McClurkin, CeCe Winans and musical director Rickey Minor will pay tribute to Aretha Franklin's gospel roots and her iconic album, Amazing Grace, at the 9 October event.

It will air live on ABC from the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles.

Franklin died last month after a long battle with cancer. She won six AMAs throughout her career and even hosted the show in 1976 and 1983.

Sabrina Owens, Franklin's niece and the executor of her estate, says in a statement: "When I heard some of the initial ideas for the tribute, I knew without a doubt that this tribute will go down as one of the best in American music."