By Judy Shields
Hollywood, California (The Hollywood Times) 05/09/2025 – Mentored by the late great Quincy Jones and fresh off a national tour performing as Stevie Wonder’s “Special Guest” on his 2024 “Sing Your Song!” tour, I had the opportunity to speak with the lovely and talented Sheléa.
Sheléa has released her new Aretha Franklin-inspired self-penned song, “Never Give Up On Love,” which dropped on April 25 on all streaming platforms. “Never Give Up On Love” is the first of new originals that the singer/songwriter has written and recorded for release this year. “I wrote ‘Never Give Up On Love’ for those who are losing faith in finding love,” says Sheléa. “It comes when you least expect it.”
GRAMMY®-nominated singer/songwriter/pianist Sheléa will star in a new PBS special titled “Aretha! With Sheléa and The Pacific Symphony” premiering on PBS stations beginning Friday, May 30 (check local listings). The televised tribute to the queen of soul, Aretha Franklin, is part of special programming and will also be available for free streaming on PBS.org and the PBS App through July 14.
Enjoy our conversation about Sheléa’s new single, and why she wrote it, her upcoming PBS special and stories about performing at the White House and all around the world, plus some special upcoming news, which you have to watch the entire video to find out what it is, but worth the watch!
Fresh off performing as Stevie Wonder’s “Special Guest” on his 2024 “Sing Your Song!” tour, Sheléa taped “Aretha! With Sheléa and The Pacific Symphony” on November 9, 2024, at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, California.
In the special conducted by Emmy Award-winning Music Director Rickey Minor, Sheléa performs Franklin classics with the Pacific Symphony and a choir of backup singers including “Chain of Fools,” “Say A Little Prayer,” “Respect” and “Natural Woman.” Other performances in the concert include “Until You Come Back to Me,” “Don’t Play That Song,” “Somewhere,” “Rock Steady,” “Sparkle,” “I Knew You Were Waiting” (duet with Stevie Mackey), “Amazing Grace” and “Precious Memories.”
An extended version of “Aretha! With Sheléa and The Pacific Symphony” will also be available with PBS Passport.
ABOUT SHELÉA
Sheléa is a GRAMMY®-nominated singer, songwriter, pianist, producer and actress who has received the attention and support of music’s most powerful icons: Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Rickey Minor and David Foster.
With years of making a name for herself as a vocal powerhouse, she has performed at The White House, The Library of Congress, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and The Vatican. In the fall of 2022, she made her debut at the Royal Albert Hall with maestro Jules Buckley to a sold-out show, with a repeat performance in 2024.
Merging her musical talent with her new love for acting, she landed her first major role as Dorinda Clark in the critically acclaimed The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel. The Lifetime biopic drew nearly three million total viewers.
