WATCH: Kelly Clarkson and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Team Up For Unexpected Loretta Lynn Tribute Performance
Kelly Clarkson and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson paid tribute to the late Loretta Lynn with a duet on The Kelly…
Dwayne Johnson, Kelly Clarkson; Photo by: Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal
Kelly Clarkson and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson paid tribute to the late Loretta Lynn with a duet on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Monday (Oct. 17).
The unlikely pair joined forces to perform “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind),” a song co-written by Lynn alongside her sister, Peggy Sue Wright. The iconic country hit became the first of many No.1s for Lynn, who passed away at the age of 90 on October 4.
This “extra special” Kelyoke segment is the second time Clarkson and Johnson have teamed up to honor a country music icon.
In early 2021, Johnson visited The Kelly Clarkson Show in support of his NBC sitcom, Young Rock. In the midst of the segment, they duetted Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers’ iconic hit “Islands In The Stream.”
During the show, Johnson detailed his one-time desire to pursue country music.
“You had country music star like ambitions, you wanted to be a country singer and I had no idea,” Clarkson admitted.
“I did! As wild as that sounds, and you’ll appreciate this obviously cause your love for music and certainly country music too,” Johnson revealed. “I grew up loving blues, hip-hop of course but then country but traditional like that three chords and the truth, steel guitar kind of country.”
Johnson went on to recall a time he was living in Nashville and immersed himself in the music along lower Broadway. He even admitted to belting out country songs in some unexpected places.
“I was at a grocery store and I was shopping and when I say shopping I was doing a little five-finger discount at that time because I couldn’t afford anything and I was in the middle of the row in a shopping aisle and I was belting out this song, not caring who was listening to me,” Johnson explained. “Then, a woman comes around the corner and she sticks her head around the corner, she looks and I stopped singing, she looks at me, her eyes go wide an she’s like ‘wow I did not expect to see someone who looks like you singing that song.’ And I said ‘oh thank you,’ then we had this chat and she was like ‘so clearly you should go down to Broadway cause that’s where all the country singers are.’ I didn’t tell her I was 15 and had no business being in a bar at that time, but then I went down there to Broadway and I used to hang out down there and listen to all the acts and I did have it in my mind that I was gonna become a country music singer.”
Later that year, Johnson shared his hopes to one day collaborate with a country music outlaw.
“My love for hip-hop goes back to day one, and I love traditional and outlaw country music,” he shared in an interview with Billboard. “I may collaborate with some artists in that genre as well. Some of those guys are my friends – like, for example, Jamey Johnson, Mickey Lamantia, Gethen Jenkins. There’s a real authenticity there… Maybe I could pick up my guitar.”
The Kelly Clarkson Show recently returned to television for its fourth season. This season has featured several musical guests, including Garth Brooks, and Kelsea Ballerini. Sam Smith recently joined her for a duet of her chart-topping hit, “Breakaway.”
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Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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