It was Martin Luther King Jr. 's favorite song , and he often invited gospel singer Mahalia Jackson to sing it at civil rights rallies to inspire crowds ; at his request she sang it at his funeral in April 1968 . King 's last words before his assassination was a request to play it at a mass he was due to attend that night . Opera singer Leontyne Price sang it at the state funeral of President Lyndon B. Johnson in January 1973 , and Aretha Franklin sang it at Mahalia Jackson 's funeral in 1972 . Franklin also recorded a live version of the song for her album '' Amazing Grace '' ( 1972 ) as a medley with " You 've Got a Friend " . It was sung by Nina Simone at the Westbury Music Fair on April 7 , 1968 , three days after King 's assassination . That evening was dedicated to him and recorded on the album '' ' Nuff Said ! '' . It was also performed by Ledisi in the movie and soundtrack for '' Selma '' in which Ledisi portrays Mahalia Jackson . It was also performed by Beyoncé at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards on February 8 , 2015 . Dave Grohl recited the lyrics of the song at a remembrance service for his friend , Lemmy from Motörhead , in January 2016
57th Annual Grammy Awards
57th Annual Grammy Awards
Take My Hand, Precious Lord