Esperanza Spalding Gives Touching ‘In Memoriam’ Tribute at the Oscars [Audio]

During the “In Memoriam” segment last night at the Oscars the Academy honored the cinema legends who have passed away in the last year. As Sidney Lumet’s, Whitney Houston’s, and Peter Falk’s names splashed onto the screen the audience was enthralled with the Esperanza Spalding as she sang Louie Armstrong’s “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Spalding has already won a Grammy Award (she beat Justin Bieber last year to win the Best New Artist Award) but she’s still relatively unknown.

She’s bound to pick up some more fans, however, after her stunning performance last night showcased her talents to an estimated 114 million households.

Justin Bieber also appeared during last night’s show. But the Biebs didn’t sing. Instead, he appeared briefly in the opening to help bring the Oscars the “18-24” demographic.

The LA Times reports that Esperanza Spalding’s new album, “Radio Music Society,” is due out next month.

What did you think of Esperanza Spalding’s performance?