Kelly Clarkson’s stunning rendition of “I Will Always Love You” at the 57th ACM Awards was sure to leave an impression on the audience. Taking on this challenging song with minimal backup, Kelly allowed her genuine vocal talent to shine through, making her performance one of the show’s highlights.
Hitting all the right notes and showing off her impressive vocal range, Clarkson stunned in a black velvet, long-sleeved gown while belting out the tune.
Her astonishing range as an artist was the topic of much fan discussion after the performance, and the video of her performance quickly went viral. Check out the video down below to see her stunning performance:
The understated yet impactful performance featured Clarkson accompanied by just a pianist and guitarist. The audience cheered for the “Since U Been Gone” singer, and the applause grew even louder as Parton joined the stage to embrace Clarkson.
“Oh my, God, that was so great!” Parton exclaimed. “That’s so great, Kelly. I know Whitney (Houston) is smiling down on us tonight. Thank you very much… I was backstage trying not to cry my false eyelashes off.”
“That just topped it off for me,” Parton continued, her enthusiasm palpable, before she went on to announce Miranda Lambert as the entertainer of the year.
Parton originally wrote and recorded “I Will Always Love You” in 1973 as a farewell to her mentor and business partner, Porter Wagoner. Whitney Houston famously covered the song for her 1992 film, “The Bodyguard.”
Clarkson, a fan of both Parton and the late Houston, has paid tribute to Houston before in the “Kellyoke” segment of her daytime talk show. She is also collaborating with Parton on a duet version of “9 to 5,” a song Clarkson performed on the very first episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
Numerous artists took the stage at the show, with performances from ACM winner Carrie Underwood, Kane Brown, Chris Stapleton, and others who entertained the audience with their latest hits. Alongside Clarkson’s standout performance, Barrett also delivered a sensational rendition of Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance.”
The 2022 ACM Awards took place at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and were streamed for the first time on Amazon Prime Video, marking a new milestone for the event.