Kelly Clarkson came to slay at the 2022 ACM Awards with a stirring rendition of Dolly Parton‘s iconic song, “I Will Always Love You.”
The moving tribute to the country music legend who also hosted Monday’s awards show was met with a standing ovation.
See Kelly Clarkson’s Incredible Cover of Dolly Parton’s Beautiful Ballad Below:
Wearing a black, long-sleeved gown, Clarkson began the performance quietly, bringing the audience in, before building to an impassioned crescendo that sent the chorus of the song soaring.
As is typical any time Clarkson belts an emotional song, the audience went wild giving the star a deserved standing ovation. While the crowd was still praising her, Parton joined Clarkson onstage. “Give it up for Dolly Parton,” she said as she exited the stage.
“I know that Whitney is smiling down on us tonight, so thank you very much,” Parton said to Clarkson. “She would be proud of that.”
The comment was a reference to the late Whitney Houston who made the song a mega-hit after covering it in 1992 for the soundtrack of The Bodyguard.
“I was backstage trying not to cry my false eyelashes off, slinging snot in every direction and tears,” Parton added. “But anyway, that was an amazing job!”
Fans of Clarkson were expecting her performance after she told an audience for The Kelly Clarkson Show last month that she would be doing a tribute to Parton. She said of the legend, “I love her so much.”
“One word: DOLLY,” Clarkson captioned a short clip shared to Instagram. “That’s right, y’all! I’m so excited to announce that during this year’s @ACMawards, I’ll be performing a tribute to the show’s host @DollyParton! Don’t miss the #ACMawards LIVE Monday, March 7, only on @PrimeVideo.”
Parton replied to the post with a comment that contained a red heart emoji.
Clarkson was not the only person to deliver a mesmerizing performance at the 57th ACM Awards. Other notable performances at the awards included Carrie Underwood, Brittney Spencer, Chris Young, Eric Church, Jason Aldean, Jordan Davis, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Brothers Osborne, and Mitchell Tenpenny.
Not one to miss an opportunity to wow a crowd, Parton also took to the stage and sang “Big Dreams and Faded Jeans” with Kelsea Ballerini. The duet is from her upcoming album Run Rose, Run.
The ACM Awards streamed live on Amazon Prime Video this year from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. If you missed the show last night, do yourself a favor and watch Kelly Clarkson and more singing their hearts out.