Kelly Clarkson acknowledges that during the trying time of her divorce, she felt guilty and humiliated. She sought a solution, but she was unable to pinpoint the emotions that would lead her there. But she discovered just that when she listened to “The Dance,” a classic song by Garth Brooks.
Just when she needed it most, the song unexpectedly appeared on her playlist. Released in 1990, this song, which depicts the end of a romance, has grown to become one of Garth Brooks’ most well-known works of art.
Kelly had the chance to personally explain to Garth how much “The Dance” means to her and how it was instrumental in assisting her in surviving a particularly difficult era in her life, her divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, when he made an appearance on Kelly’s talk show back in 2020.
She confessed to him at the time, “I couldn’t quite pin down the feeling. I was like, “Well, you don’t want to crap on it, do you? Like, you don’t want to say it didn’t matter or count, but you are unsure about what to say because things didn’t go as planned.”
Anyway, when I was listening to my playlist, “The Dance” came on, and I thought, “No, that’s the thing. I kid you not. It’s done.”
Clarkson further disclosed that she even composed a song for her ninth studio album that was influenced by “The Dance.” ” Even though my heart is destroyed, it was worth the dance nevertheless,” the 39-year-old celebrity sang the song’s tagline.
As a result, it seemed only natural that Kelly sang for Garth when he was recently recognized at the 43rd Kennedy Center Honors. She astonished him by performing “The Dance” as a cover.
During the 43rd annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., Kelly Clarkson herself charmed Garth Brooks with his 1990 country No. 1 single.
Brooks was the ninth country musician to receive recognition at the ceremony. He and his wife Trisha Yearwood were so impressed by Kelly Clarkson’s performance that they almost started crying.
Clarkson acknowledged in an interview how “nervous” she felt before performing “The Dance” in front of Brooks at the Kennedy Center Honors. “I was messaging Trisha Yearwood before the event, and then I go on stage and I see them, and all of a sudden, I am the sweatiest human on planet earth,” she claimed.
But the 59-year-old country star was won over by her performance with a full band. “It’s just so gorgeous,” she continues.
Brooks received recognition at the Kennedy Center’s 43rd Kennedy Center Honors together with Debbie Allen, Joan Baez, Dick Van Dyke, and Midori. For the second time, Gloria Estefan served as the host.
Along with Clarkson, other performers that paid tribute to the honorees were Derek Hough, Vanessa Hudgens, Pentatonix, Gladys Knight, Emmylou Harris, Jimmie Allen, and Yo-Yo Ma.
On June 6, 2021, at 8:00 PM ET on CBS, the Kennedy Center Honors were broadcast. Paramount+ also offered streaming of it. Additionally, a video of Kelly Clarkson’s performance that was shared on numerous channels and has received millions of views is available on YouTube.
