Garth Brooks moved to tears by Kelly Clarkson’s ‘The Dance’ cover
On May 22, the 43rd Annual Kennedy Center Honors, which honors five people or groups for their contribution to American culture through the arts, took place. Choreographer and actress Debbie Allen, musician Joan Baez, violinist Midori, Dick Van Dyke, and Garth Brooks were selected to be honored in 2021.
To honor these incredible legends, Derek Hough, Vanessa Hudgens, Pentatonix, Gladys Knight, Emmylou Harris, Jimmie Allen, Yo-Yo Ma, and Kelly Clarkson took the stage for a ceremony that will be aired on Sunday, June 6th on CBS and will be available to stream on Paramount+.
Clarkson had the task of paying tribute to Garth Brooks, who she has known for a long time and has even had as a guest on her talk show a couple times in recent years. She performed his already emotional song, “The Dance,” but somehow took it to another level with her delivery.
Standing on the stage in Washington D.C., Clarkson’s voice quivered at times singing the song Brooks released over 30 years ago.
The Emmy-winning talk show host expressed to Brooks late last year that “The Dance” had been helping her get through her divorce.
“So I’m going through a divorce and there’s been like a lot of books and people always give you stuff to help, especially when you have kids and stuff,” she said at the time. “And there’s so much shame and guilt.”
Clarkson continued, “I couldn’t quite nail down the feeling. Like you don’t want to crap on it, like, you don’t want to say that [relationship] doesn’t count or matter, but you don’t know what to put in it because it didn’t work out like you wanted. So, anyway, I kid you not, I was listening to my playlist and ‘The Dance’ came on. And I was like, ‘No, that’s the thing. That’s it.’”
The Kennedy Center Honors aired on CBS on Sunday night (June 6) and showed Clarkson’s entire performance of the legendary song. She started it off a cappella before her music director accompanied her on the piano. Cameras kept cutting to Brooks, who can be seen saying “That’s so great” during the performance.
At one point, Brooks began to cry and after Clarkson sang the final note, he jumped to his feet, took off his hat, and yelled, “Damn!”
Watch Clarkson’s full performance of “The Dance” below.
THE DANCE
BY KELLY CLARKSON. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL TO GARTH BROOKS. KELLY’S VOCALS RIGHT ON POINT AND HEART STIRRING AS ALWAYS.
My brother sang this song 28 years ago at our father’s funeral. There wasn’t a dry eye in the church. I haven’t been able to listen to this song without crying since. This song carries a lot of meaning for me and my children. Even now, 28 years later, my son and I were on a road trip and this song came on. Instantly, the mood sullenes, and eyes watered, and my son reached for the knob on the car stereo system to change the song, because he knew it was one of my instant triggers. Garth Brooks helped me accept the loss of my father who passed away unexpectedly from a heart aneurysm that burst. He was just 60 years old when Our Father called him home. His words reflected exactly what my siblings and I were going through. Even now, whenever I hear this song, my mind instantly transports me back to Dec 7, 1996 when the world lost my hero.
Thank you and God bless you, Garth, for helping me navigate through the HARDEST trial I have ever experienced. ~Barbara Ann
Garth Brooks is a legend. Kelly sang her heart and soul in that song. I don’t think I’ve heard a better cover of that song ever. Congratulations to all honor recipients and those who pay tribute through song to these recipients as well!