Dolly Parton’s Reaction To Kelly Clarkson’s “I Will Always Love You” Cover Will Warm Your Heart

Our favorite country music stars showed up in the 2022 Academy of Country Music Awards, which happened at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, last March 7. The star-studded night featured performances from the best and brightest in Nashville, such as Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, and more.

But One Performance Will Make You Shed A Few Tears

Country icon Dolly Parton – who served as this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards’ host – was honored by Kelly Clarkson with a stirring rendition of the mega-hit “I Will Always Love You.”

After Clarkson’s performance, Parton came on stage and greeted the country star with a warm hug. She also made sure to acknowledge Whitney Houston, who made the song famous in 1992 when she recorded it for the romantic thriller film The Bodyguard. “I know that Whitney is smiling down on us tonight,” she said to Clarkson. 

Meanwhile, Parton admitted that she was trying not to cry for the sake of her false eyelashes but was “slinging snot every direction” while backstage. 

The living country legend flexed her hosting skills at the awards night. It’s been more than twenty years since Parton last hosted the show, and her return to the stage got fans in a frenzy. She’s joined by co-hosts, rising stars Gabby Barrett and Jimmie Allen.

RELATED: Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” A Country Song That’s Hard To Top

Parton wrote “I Will Always Love You” as a farewell song to her business partner and mentor, Porter Wagoner, expressing her desire to pursue a solo career. It was a commercial success for Parton, reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart – not only once, but twice.

Make sure to watch Kelly Clarkson’s performance of the iconic country ballad “I Will Always Love You” in the video below.