GOOSEBUMPS.
Kelly Clarkson always comes through with fantastic country covers on her show, but this might just be my favorite one yet.
For a segment of Kellyoke a couple weeks back, she performed a knockout version of the all-time classic, “Georgia On My Mind.” She has the most incredible vocals, and I really don’t think there’s a song out there she couldn’t sing… seriously, I need a Kelly country covers album like I need oxygen.
“Georgia On My Mind” was originally written in 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell, and first recorded that same year by Hoagy.
But of course, it was made extremely popular when the great Ray Charles, a Georgia native, included it on his 1960 album The Genius Hits the Road. That version peaked at #1 on the Billboard magazine Hot 100 chart, and in 1979, the State of Georgia designated Ray Charles’s version the official state song.
It became synonymous with Ray’s music career and his signature tune, but his friend and country legend Willie Nelson also had a very popular cover of the hit track, when Willie recorded it for his iconic 1978 record, Stardust.
It was released as single and peaked at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and has become a fan-favorite and standard at his live shows, as well.
And if you love this song as much as I do, then you have to hear Kelly’s version, too:
And these two music legends together on this classic? Absolutely iconic… check ’em out performing it on The Willie Nelson Special back in 1986:
