Kelly Clarkson Nails A Country Classic On ‘Kellyoke’

Author Nancy Brooks // Country Writer, Beasley Media Group

April 28th, 2022 11:20 AM

Kelly Clarkson covered a Keith Whitley country classic on her show segment dubbed “Kellyoke” this week, singing Whitley’s number one hit and very last single before his death, “I’m No Stranger To The Rain.” Whitley died of alcohol poisoning at age 34, five months after the single was released.

That song won Whitley a posthumous award for Single of the Year at the 1990 CMA Awards and won him a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 1990.

Whitley has long been cited as a musical influence by many of today’s country stars, including Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, and Chris Young.

Many fans reacted to the song being posted to YouTube, including one who wrote, “I’ve loved this Whitley song seen him sang it in concert the whole crowd sang with him. Great cover, my Love.”

Another fan commented, “When she sings country, it’s like something I have never heard before.”

https://youtu.be/s_JAITlKHbE

10 Kelly Clarkson Songs We Can’t Get Out Of Our Head

• 10. “Piece by Piece” (2017)

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  A song was written about the pain her father caused her when he left the family when Kelly was just six years old. The song is actually a sequel to her 2005 song "Because Of You." It's powerful for sure and was also the title of her seventh studio album. The version of this song she sang on ‘American Idol’ in 2017 was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance.

• 9. “A Moment Like This” (2002)

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  This song was released as her debut single. Later, it was included in her debut studio album, ‘Thankful’ (2003). "A Moment Like This" was written to be the first single for the winner of the first season of ‘American Idol.’

• 8. “My Life Would Suck Without You” (2009)

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  Reviews for this song were mixed, but TIME named it the best song of 2009.
• 7. “Heartbeat Song” (2015)

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  This beat just won't quit. Lyrically, it’s about meeting someone who restores the narrator’s faith in love.

• 6. “Mr. Know It All” (2011)

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  When this song was first released, Clarkson described the song as a "vocally raw record" and said that she and her producers strove to record her voice as it is heard at live performances, using as little auto-tune processing as possible.

• 5. “Breakaway” (2004)

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  A classic hit pop song. It was initially intended for Avril Lavigne's debut studio album. After being deemed unsuitable for the album, it was passed to Kelly to be recorded as a soundtrack for the film ‘The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.’
• 4. “Miss Independent” (2003)

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  A top ten hit that Clarkson's record label didn't want to release as a single, but Kelly insisted. She co-wrote the song with Christina Aguilera, Rhett Lawrence, and Matt Morris.

• 3. “Since U Been Gone” (2004)

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  This may be the song most closely related to Kelly Clarkson. Clarkson performed "Since U Been Gone" at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards and at the 2006 BRIT Awards. Fun fact: The song was first given to Hilary Duff, but she rejected it because she could not reach its higher notes.

• 2. “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” (2012)

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  What a great song to get anyone through a breakup. The song's accompanying music video incorporates the theme of a global flash mob dance, featuring submitted videos of people dancing to the song.
• 1. ” Because of You” (2005)

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  It is just one of the most honest and heartbreaking songs. One line in the song just kills, saying, "My heart can't possibly break / When it wasn't even whole to start with." Kelly's emotional performance of the song on the record is just excellent. Clarkson even wrote the treatment for the video herself to reflect the pain that she felt due to her parents' divorce.

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Author Nancy Brooks // Country Writer, Beasley Media Group

Category:

• Country 102.5
• Music

Tags:

Keith Whitley,Kelly Clarkson