During a surprisingly entertaining Grammy Awards show, one of the standout performances was the duet between Mary J. Blige and Andrea Bocelli. The two contrasting styles worked harmoniously as the pair delivered a stirring rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Water to honor the victims of Haiti.

Although many thought it somewhat precipitous for Blige to be dubbed the Queen of Hip Hop Soul immediately after the release of her first album, she has earned that distinction with a stellar career spanning nearly 20 years.  She has also become known as one of the hardest working people in the music business. She has released ten studio albums, toured endlessly, and has teamed with an impressive array of the industry’s heavyweights, both in the studio and onstage.

In fact, Mary J. Blige may be one of the few singers to be recognized by her duets as much as her solo efforts. Coming from an R&B background, collaborations with rappers is not too surprising. She has recorded with over 30 rappers. But the songstress has also performed with an eclectic range of other artist including U2, Shakira, Aretha Franklin, Sting, Whitney Houston and Andre Bocelli prior to their Grammy performance.
On the following pages, we list some of her best duets, both live and recorded.  Blige may have already sung another duet by the time you reach the last song.

by EJ Jacobs