Kelly Clarkson Tributes to Dolly Parton With Stunning ‘I Will Always Love You’ at 2022 ACMs
Kelly Clarkson supplied a jaw-dropping tribute to country legend and ACM Awards co-host Dolly Parton during Monday night's (March 7) ceremony. The sometimes-country star put her own spin on Parton's iconic song "I Will Always Love You" during the broadcast, but didn't stray too far from Dolly's version, either.
Donning a gorgeous black dress, Clarkson stepped onto the ACM Awards stage in Las Vegas looking as if she was ready to create a moment, and she certainly did. In fact, her voice soared on the inspirational song, with the crowd cheering her towards each and every crescendo. And as the song concluded, it further cemented that Clarkson just might have one of the best voices of her time.
Even Parton was touched and emotional as she came on the stage, thanking Clarkson for the rendition of one of her famous songs, while also paying homage to the late Whitney Houston, who took the song to the top of the charts in 1992.
This isn't the first time Clarkson has publicly paid tribute to Parton. The American Idol winner performed a cover of "9 to 5" on the debut episode of her daytime talk show the Kelly Clarkson Show. In February, Parton revealed that she had recorded a duet version of "9 to 5" with Clarkson to be featured in an upcoming documentary. The film, Still Working 9 to 5, will premiere next week at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas.
Parton co-hosted the 2022 ACM Awards alongside 2021 ACM New Male and Female Artists of the Year Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett. The awards took place at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, and for the first time since 1972, the ceremony did not air on network television, but was streamed live on Amazon Prime Video.