Kelly Clarkson paid tribute to Dolly Parton at the ACM Awards, performing her classic “I Will Always Love You,“ and Parton’s reaction is quintessential Dolly.
Celebrity “I know that Whitney [Houston] is smiling down on us… she’d be proud of that.” Kelly Clarkson will always love Dolly Parton. The American Idol winner turned talk show host paid tribute to the country icon at the Academy of Country Music Awards on March 7, performing a cover of Parton’s iconic “I Will Always Love You” and paying homage to both Parton’s version and the 1992 rendition made famous by the late Whitney Houston. Clarkson’s stirring rendition got the crowd on their feet, but it was Parton’s reaction to her tribute that may make you shed a few tears. After the performance, Parton came on stage and was greeted with a warm hug from Clarkson before acknowledging Houston. “I know that Whitney is smiling down on us tonight,” she told Clarkson.
