Dolly Parton and Kelly Clarkson gave a powerful impromptu rendition of Dolly’s iconic love ballad “I Will Always Love You” on Thursday 1st December’s episode. The Kelly Clarkson Show! In the clip, which you can watch below, the 76-year-old country music legend explained how she first heard about it Whitney Houston‘s version of the song while listening to the radio in her car. “I was just riding along, I had the radio on and I heard this…” she said. “When I first heard ‘If I…’ I just freaked out. I had to stop on the side because I honestly thought I was going to break. It was the most overwhelming feeling and you know how great that was.”
Dolly then recalled when Kelly performed the song at the ACM Awards in March. “I was going to tell you the whole crowd would have been so proud of you, Whitney,” Dolly said. “It was amazing.” It was suggested that the two women should “sing a little bit together,” which hilariously dashed Kelly, 40. “I’m going to cry,” she joked.
However, Dolly spoke the former american idol star to harmonize a few bars for the live audience The Kelly Clarkson Show, and the results were goosebumps. “How about I sing a little bit of this and you sing the harmony with me,” Dolly suggested. The audience erupted in applause and Kelly joked, “It’s the little things” after the awesome sit-down performance.
The dynamic duo teased their conversation over a Nov. 30 preview clip that was shared online. The video below showed Dolly, 76, and the american idol The alum, 40, worked on their vocal magic as they tweaked their rendition of the hit “9 to 5” with seemingly flawless and enjoyable communication. More behind-the-scenes footage showed Dolly praising the show’s crew for their hard work. “I love Kelly. I love your show,” she said Jason Halbert, the music director of the show. “You’re all doing a great job.” Another funny look at the collaboration saw Kelly running excitedly across the stage after Dolly belted out a few notes.
Kelly and Dolly have been close for years, and Kelly even honored Dolly and her musical accomplishments at the 2022 Academy of Country Music Awards in March by delivering a powerful rendition of the classic song “I Will Always Love You,” made famous by the it covered the late Whitney for the 1992 film The bodyguard. After the performance, Dolly gracefully strolled onto the stage and thanked Kelly for her work. “I was backstage trying not to cry off my false eyelashes — I was throwing snot everywhere and tears,” she gushed to Kelly. “I know Whitney is smiling down on us tonight so thank you very much – she would be proud of that.”
The musical superstars teamed up earlier this year and released an official studio recording of the song, which debuted in the documentary I still work 9 to 5. Puppet was watching The Kelly Clarkson Show handy for discussing their enthusiasm for the new rendition of the recognizable tune. “You did a great job with that too. I love how you took that and just made it your own and I got the chance to sing background for a change,” she told Kelly. “But I’m really proud of this rendition and I think hopefully it will do us good!”
Along with her flawless performance, Kelly has a lot to thank for this holiday season. Last month her Christmas song “When Christmas Comes Around…” was nominated for a Grammy. Expressing gratitude for a contribution Instagram, Kelly wrote: “What an incredible group of artists to be nominated by the way! Thanks to everyone who put every bit of time, energy and talent into bringing this album to life! I couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you @recordingacademy for this nomination and thank you @AtlanticRecords for always supporting and believing in me!”
Meanwhile, Dolly is preparing to host NBC and Miley Cyrus‘ televised New Year’s Eve celebration, Miley’s New Years Eve.