Kelly Clarkson Commemorates Juneteenth With Heartbreaking Latest Kellyoke Cover
Kelly Clarkson commemorated Juneteenth this week when she performed her latest Kellyoke cover on her eponymous daytime talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show. The star stunned viewers of the Friday, June 19, episode of the NBC series as she took on a heartbreaking cover of the 1968 Etta James classic “I’d Rather Go Blind.”
Kelly’s powerhouse vocals were on full display as she belted out the hit alongside her band mates, shortly after she paid tribute to those taking part in the recent Black Lives Matter protests with another Kellyoke performance last week. The group all recorded their parts via video due to the social distancing rules put in place to manage the ongoing pandemic.
The clip was shared across The Kelly Clarkson Show‘s social media channels with a blue filter and appeared to show the mom of two makeup-free. Kelly, also a coach on The Voice, rocked a pair of large hoop earrings and a dark, patterned ensemble.
Commemorating #Juneteenth with this @EttaJames classic! ? #kellyoke pic.twitter.com/XtP4DQUieI
— The Kelly Clarkson Show (@KellyClarksonTV) June 19, 2020
The star’s powerful voice soared as she performed the track as part of her regular Kellyoke segment, which features the American Idol Season 1 winner taking on a different cover each episode.
In the caption of the video posted to Twitter, the TV show confirmed that Kelly decided to perform the song to pay tribute to Juneteenth, which takes place annually on June 19. The holiday celebrates the day that slaves in Texas finally learned that all slaves in the United States were free.
Kelly clearly connected to the song, prompting some fans to suggest that, in addition to its connection to the annual day of celebration, the emotional track may have been chosen because of its candid lyrics. It was revealed earlier this month that Kelly had filed for divorce from her husband of almost seven years, Brandon Blackstock.
“Honestly I feel her speaking through her music. I can’t imagine why she’s getting divorced. I feel so devastated for her but at the same time empowered too. Shes amazing. She’s gotta be protected. Good human,” one person tweeted in response to the clip.
“Anyone else choke up watching this?” another fan said.
“This totally broke my heart for her but when kelly sings soul it makes wanna live one more day,” a third Twitter user said alongside a loudly crying emoji and a green heart.
People confirmed that Kelly filed for divorce from the father of her two children in Los Angeles on June 4. Neither Kelly nor Brandon have publicly spoken out about the split, though one report recently alleged that the estranged couple spending so much time locked down together at their ranch in Montana in recent weeks only amplified their existing marital issues.
