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Kelly Clarkson took a moment during her Saturday night concert at New York's storied Radio City Music Hall to pay tribute to the late, great Etta James.
During Clarkson's Manhattan stop in her Stronger concert tour, the "Mr. Know It All" singer, 29, memorialized the blues legend, who had just died on Friday, Jan. 20 after a long battle with leukemia.
Clarkson may not have played the soul queen on screen like Beyoncé, but did sing a particularly memorable version of the song "At Last" when auditioning for the first season of American Idol 10 years ago. If Clarkson hadn't nailed James' signature ballad in front of judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, she would not have gone on to become the first American Idol champion -- a title that jump-started her successful recording career.
But during her concert, Clarkson decided not to sing "At Last" again. She opted for a more personal selection.
"This isn't 'At Last,' because everyone really covers that, and so I wanted to do my favorite, actually," Clarkson explained to the audience. "My favorite song is 'I'd Rather Go Blind.' So, this is for Etta!"
And what a fitting, and soul tribute it is!
Watch Kelly's cover of "I'd Rather Go Blind"
