With the stoic U.S. Capitol building behind her, Kelly Clarkson delivered one of the most iconic presidential inauguration performances of all time.
On January 21, 2013, the Voice Coach blew away viewers — and everyone in attendance, President Barack Obama included — with a stunning rendition of “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.” The powerful and patriotic anthem capped the historic Inauguration Day in a way only Clarkson could deliver.
Despite the day’s chilly temperatures (at noon, the recorded temperature was only 40 degrees), Clarkson warmed up our nation’s capital with stunning precision and emotion. Her voice never wavered as she sang her heart out — oh, and she absolutely nailed the song’s epic final high note, too.
Watch Kelly Clarkson perform “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” here.
The 43-year-old mother of two proved she can deliver gorgeous vocal performances in any setting, whether it’s on The Voice, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and everywhere in between.
Clarkson wasn’t the only artist to perform on Inauguration Day 2013. Beyoncé sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” while James Taylor performed “America the Beautiful.”
“Vice President [Joe] Biden and I are honored to have these wonderfully talented musical artists perform at the Inaugural ceremony,” President Obama said in a statement at the time. “Their music is often at the heart of the American story and speaks to folks across the country.”
For many fans, Clarkson’s dazzling rendition of “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” will live on forever.
“Kelly nailed it. Heartfelt, genuine, effortless,” wrote one commenter.
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The beautiful reason Aretha Franklin made Kelly Clarkson cry
During her April 2020 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Clarkson confessed that she was stressed out ahead of her performance when she realized she agreed to sing the same song that Aretha Franklin sang four years earlier at President Obama’s first inauguration.
Fortunately, Franklin approved of her rendition, calling it “magnificent” — and it moved Clarkson to tears.
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“I cried,” Clarkson admitted to Jimmy Fallon. “Not joking, I was in the studio making a record at the time and I bawled, ’cause I was like, ‘I’m done. I have succeeded.'”
Originally written by Samuel Francis Smith in 1831, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” has been an American patriotic anthem for nearly two centuries. On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. included the first verse of the song in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
