VIDEO: Grammy Winner Madison Cunningham Pays Tribute to Tina Turner With ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It’ Cover
VIDEO: Grammy Winner Madison Cunningham Pays Tribute to Tina Turner With ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It’ Cover
Plus, Howard remembers the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll”
The music world lost a legend when singer Tina Turner passed away on May 24 at her home in Switzerland. She was 83.
In an exclusive to the Stern Show, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham performed a unique take on one of the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee’s biggest hits, “What’s Love Got to Do with It.” “I was drawn to this song in particular because when slowed down, I realized all of the heartbreak packed into it,” she said of her song choice. “It’s not just a one-night stand, feel-good dancer as the production of it suggests. It’s really about someone being afraid to give their heart to someone else because of past hurt.”
Watch the full performance (above).
Howard also took time on Monday’s Stern Show to pay tribute to the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” recalling how after being in an abusive relationship with former partner Ike Turner, she eventually found even greater success as a solo artist. “After her whole success with Ike, [she] had the ultimate revenge by having a bigger career without him and he sat on the sidelines and watched,” he said.
VIDEO: Sam Fontana’s Mom Barely Got a Word in on Her First Date With Jonny G.
VIDEO: Sam Fontana’s Mom Barely Got a Word in on Her First Date With Jonny G.
“I don’t think it was a love connection,” Howard reports on Monday
It seemed like love was in the air last month after Stern Show staffer Samantha Fontana’s mother Cathy visited the studio for Woo Sam’s Mom, an on-air dating game which ultimately connected her with Jonny G., an eligible bachelor from Florida. Unfortunately, matters of the heart are never easy to predict.
“I don’t think it was a love connection,” Howard reported on Monday, explaining Cathy went on a Zoom date with Jonny G. over the break and it wasn’t a home run. “He spent the entire date talking about himself,” Howard continued before playing a clip of Jonny G. bending Cathy’s ear on subjects ranging from his childhood to his favorite foods. “Jonny spent seven minutes on the topic of pizza alone,” Howard added.
After their rendezvous, both participants answered a few follow-up questions. Jonny G. said the date was an “A+” that couldn’t have gone any better before admitting he didn’t learn anything new about Cathy during their conversation.
“No offense but you gotta up your game,” Howard told Jonny G. on Monday.
Jonny G. admitted he didn’t put his best foot forward, citing both an illness and Zoom awkwardness as reasons for becoming a chatterbox. “I took off like I was on a runway. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking,” he said.
Cathy’s review of the encounter was less glowing. “[It was] probably a ‘C,’” she said, explaining his refusal to ask her questions was such a turnoff she assumed the relationship was doomed — right until she called him again to break things off. “I wanted to tell him I wasn’t interested, just to be polite … and he was really cool on the phone,” Cathy told Howard on Monday. “It was like a totally different person.”
Cathy’s daughter Samantha believed her mom was more interested than she’d let on. “I think she’s playing it down … She seemed to be really into him in their private conversation,” Sam told Howard.
In the end, Cathy wasn’t sure there was a future with Jonny G., but she told Howard she’d happily “get together” with him should he ever be in the neighborhood.
“I hope you two kids meet up one day,” Howard concluded. “Jonny G., next time, just show your six-pack abs and don’t talk so much.”