If it’s anybody that’s sorely missed on SNL, it’s that Maya Rudolph.
Known for her impeccable Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, and Donatella Versace impressions on the late night show, Maya proved that she broke the mold on anyone attempting such an impersonation going forward.
(In my blogging lifetime, I’ve scoured the net for many months and Sundays in search of a mere snippet of Maya’s set [where she imitated Beyonce] and it can never be found. I’ve come to conclude it’s a cherishable artifact at this point).
For old times sake however, Maya revisited her talent for impersonating and characterization. And mid-speech during a Tulane University commencement ceremony, “Pamela Bell” stepped to the New Orleans University’s podium and belted out the national anthem—indicative of: “Pamela Bell.”
In a 2009 interview, Rudolph explained that “Pamela Bell” was character inspired by [the singing/singer/s on] American Idol.
“I was making fun of this new style of singing that people seem to do, where not only do they lay it on thick, they have, like, 20 different voices in the same song, which I find so incredibly strange.”
Well, “Pamela Bell” sang, and…I’m guessing her late mother: 70s songbird Minnie Ripperton would be proud…just maybe.
Check Maya out:
Now check her mom out (singing her inter-national hit).
Such a beautiful song to sing. I love this:
