10/02/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/02/2026 13:24
Dolly Parton offered Kelly Clarkson some much-needed comfort during a difficult moment in her life.
During a September 30 appearance on the Las Culturistas podcast, Clarkson recalled the time she was set to honor Parton with a performance of her hit "I Will Always Love You" at the 2022 ACM Awards while also dealing emotional personal matters, per People.
She explained that she found out her divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock was finalized about 30 minutes before stepping on stage, adding a bump into what was already a "tall order" of singing the notoriously difficult song. Parton was nearby backstage and the pair had a conversation that had an immediate impact on the "Breakaway" singer.
"I was like, 'I'm sorry, it's just kind of a wild moment for me, and I've got to go out there and do this song,'" she said. "But that moment for me and what she said backstage to me, it was just a really beautiful thing. And really helpful, because I was like, 'Oh my God, you cannot break. This moment isn't about you. This is a tribute to someone.'"
After their conversation, Clarkson said she felt like the weight she had been carrying "had just been lifted."
"It was just a really weird hour for me," she said. "But anyway, she was very, very cool and I'll never forget that moment."
The American Idol alum was one countless mourners who honored Parton with heartfelt tributes after her death at 80 years old in August following a private battle with cancer.
"Dolly Parton had a way of making everyone feel special, and seen, and welcomed, and as if you were old friends," Clarkson wrote on Instagram. "I will miss her heart and her voice as I am sure millions will. What an incredible gift and talent she was and still is with an amazing catalogue of art she has left behind for all of us."