Even when Dolly Parton wasn’t performing on stage or attending the 2022 ACM Awards, she still had a huge presence. The Country Music Hall of Fame inductee received a one-of-a-kind tribute during Monday’s streaming show when pop star (and talk show host) Kelly Clarkson sang “I’ll Always Love You.”
It was a typically majestic performance for Clarkson, who impressed not only with her huge notes and vocals, but also with the restraint she showed in her performance.
We will always love @Kelly Clarkson ❤️ Watch #ACMawards on the @PrimeVideo! pic.twitter.com/Tp9cpPN55I
— ACM Awards (@ACMawards) March 8, 2022
One of Parton’s most famous songs, “I Will Always Love You,” went through several iterations. Parton wrote it in 1973 about his decision to walk away from his mentor Porter Wagoner and it hit number one in 1974. Parton lifted it to number one again in 1982, this time through a new version that appeared on the Best Little Brothel soundtrack. in Texas. She recorded it again in 1995 as a duet with Vince Gill on the album Something Special.
Most famously, Whitney Houston’s 1992 remastered version for The Bodyguard was a huge worldwide success, giving the late singer her biggest hit and becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time. Clarkson’s performance at the Academy of Country Music Awards included elements of Parton and Houston’s versions of “I Will Always Love You”.
Of late, Parton has been promoting her new book Run Rose Run, which she co-wrote with James Patterson, and an accompanying album of the same name. Clarkson, the original winner of American Idol, is currently set to co-host a new Eurovision-style show called American Song Contest with Snoop Dogg. It will begin airing March 21 on NBC.
At the 2022 ACM Awards, broadcast live from Las Vegas on Prime Video, Miranda Lambert was named Artist of the Year. Here is the complete list of winners.