In 2021, Kelly Clarkson brought out her country side by covering the ballad “The Dance” by Garth Brooks at the Kennedy Center Honors. But the best part? Brooks himself was in the audience during the amazing performance, and looked totally moved the entire time.
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Clarkson’s rendition used some gentle piano notes while she crooned the emotional lyrics with a slight twang and used some heavenly vocal flips.
What to know about “The Dance” by Garth Brooks
Released in 1990 of off Brooks’ self titled debut album, “The Dance” reached the number one position on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It is considered to be the song that launched Brooks into fame.
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In a 2021 interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show, he opened up about the story behind the song. Apparently, Brooks told his record producer Allen Reynolds that he originally didn’t want to record for his album, because he believed it “didn’t sound country enough.”
“It had piano in it, which, you know, I had moved to Nashville, [I] didn’t know what a piano was, cause its always just steels and fiddles,” he explained.
However, it was Brooks’ voice that brought everything together. “If you don’t record that song, it’ll be the biggest hit you’ve ever had,” Reynolds said, according to Brooks.
