Good LORD.
Kelly Clarkson might be one of the only people on the planet who could do a cover of “Tennessee Whiskey” justice… seriously, I know we all know she is an incredible vocalist, but this is no easy song to sing and she beyond nails it.
Actually, Kelly is known to cover country songs quite often on her show, and usually she pulls from many different genres across the musical spectrum, which I love.
And this particular performance is actually from a few years ago for Kellyoke, but since she had hosting duties at the NFL Honors last night, her team brought it back today and I honestly forgot how much I love it.
Written by the great Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove, “Tennessee Whiskey” was originally recorded by David Allan Coe and included as the title track to his 1981 album.
It peaked at just #77 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1981, though George Jones’ 1983 cover peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart the year of its release.
And of course, Chris Stapleton released what is now the most well-known version of the iconic country song as a cover on his iconic 2015 Traveler album.
I think we all know about the famous moment when he first sang “Tennessee Whiskey” with Justin Timberlake at the CMA Awards, which launched his solo career and ultimately made him a country superstar.
Chris’ rendition shot to #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and has since been certified 6× Platinum by the RIAA, meaning it has moved over a whopping six million units in total (they combine streaming and album sales).
The only thing that could make this any better? A Kelly and Chris duet. I don’t even have words for how amazing that would be.
And if nothing else, I’m still waiting on that Kelly Clarkson country cover album… hey, a girl can dream.
Definitely yourself a favor and check out Kelly’s rendition of this song, though. You’ll be glad you did:
She more recently did another kickass cover of Chris’ #1 “You Should Probably Leave”: