On December 4, 2005, a 24-year-old Beyoncé walked onto the stage at the Kennedy Center Opera House to perform “Proud Mary.” Tina Turner sat in the presidential box as an honoree rather than a performer, watching the young star take on her most celebrated stage routine. The Los Angeles Times reported that the high-energy tribute brought the gala audience to its feet.
Written by John Fogerty and first released by Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1969, “Proud Mary” took on new life after Ike and Tina Turner recorded their 1971 interpretation. Their version earned the 1972 Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group and became synonymous with Tina stage identity.
The performance was part of the 28th annual Kennedy Center Honors, which celebrated Tina’s lifetime contribution to the performing arts. That year’s honorees also included singer Tony Bennett, ballerina Suzanne Farrell, actress Julie Harris, and actor-filmmaker Robert Redford. Tina’s tribute segment featured speeches and appearances from Oprah Winfrey and Queen Latifah, along with musical contributions from Al Green and Melissa Etheridge.
Behind the scenes, the live staging ran into technical trouble. The Washington Post reported that a microphone problem prompted Beyoncé to perform the entire routine a second time after much of the gala audience had already left. Tina stayed in her seat to watch the retake and applaud, with production staff reportedly considering the second pass even stronger. CBS later broadcast the edited ceremony on December 27, though the available records do not identify which take appears in the 2013 YouTube upload.
Watch another wonderful performance. Melissa Etheridge’s brilliant tribute to Bruce Springsteen at the 32nd. Annual Kennedy Center Honors Awards below.
On February 10, 2008, Beyoncé joined Tina on stage at the 50th Grammy Awards for a joint performance of “Proud Mary.” The Recording Academy later quoted Beyoncé describing Tina as both her “hero” and her “icon.”
The Kennedy Center’s official YouTube channel posted the 2005 performance on December 16, 2013, roughly eight years after the event. One viewer wrote, “Can’t believe Beyoncé is ONLY 24 here! That’s CRAZY! She was great here but she has also improved since then,” while another fan noted, “I’m glad she got to see Beyoncé honor her in her lifetime. RIP Queen Tina.” As of September 15, 2026, the video has logged over 51 million views and around 335,000 likes.