That lady is Debbie Allen she was one of the people being honored that year. This was for the Kennedy Center Honors. They choose people each year to honor. Kelly was one of the people asked to honor Garth that year. Another year, she was asked to honor Reba and sang "Fancy"
When a Hall-of-Famer in any genre of singing is retiring, has an anniversary, a birthday, or is in any context where a tribute of the highest order for them is needed, it's clear af who the industry's go-to performer is and has been over the last 7-8 years. Kelly performing at tributes are littered across CZcams. With the copious amount of iron-clad data that CZcams alone has collected, it's borderline empirically-proven that a large portion, if not a majority, of the music industry have bestowed Kelly w/ the highest possible accolade that a singer can receive/earn (imho). She's unambiguously been accepted as being arguably the 'Greatest Singer Alive.' She's been elevated to the absolute top-tier of active singers. With only one or two others considered to presently be her true peer. (remember this is not at all about sales data or other factors, instead it's solely about pure demonstrable singing...ability, tone, talent, and skills) For me, I think of it as similar to the perpetual debate in Hip Hop of who's the 'Greatest Rapper Alive?' And in turn, who's the 'Greatest Singer Alive?' Meaning said rapper or singer is currently still performing (on wax and/or live) in their prime or at a comparable peak-like level. And doing so demonstrably by dropping relevant content of any kind for public consumption w/ at least enough regularity to be culturally considered an active singer/recording artist. I also feel there is rarely a universally-accepted, consensus #1 (i.e. 'greatest X alive') in any sector, medium, or genre w/i the entertainment industry. What typically happens is the relevant communities and the culture at-large indirectly nominates, for lack of a better word, a few individuals (2 or 3 usually) that are basically universally-accepted as being arguably the 'greatest X alive.' The debate is narrowed down to essentially the consensus finalists but is rarely definitively resolved. Or in other words, Kelly became a damn-near unanimous first ballot Hall-of Famer about 6-8 years ago although she won't be eligible for the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame until either 2028 or 2029. To wrap up, here's probably my favorite Kelly anecdote ever...(fyi, I legit love Beyoncé & mean no disrespect at all in the forthcoming tidbit. Again, please know I am throwing exactly zero shade at Mrs. Carter & am only recounting the confirmable details of the situation.) Kelly subtly flexed on Beyonce hard af during the 2013 Inauguration Ceremony for Obama. Albeit, I honestly don't think Kelly was consciously trying to do this or anything and it was obviously a non-topic at the time. But in hindsight...Kelly stepped up like a fuckin' boss twice on arguably our country's biggest international stage while Beyoncé understandably did the status quo like many before her. Full context: during the little pre-ceremony meeting, both singers met w/ the politicians in charge of administrating the logistics of this presidential event w/ its several hundred thousand in-person spectators and its millions of at-home viewers. Those in charge told both singers the national anthem & My Country 'Tis of Thee is almost always lip-synched at POTUS Inaugurations like it is at most massive public broadcasts. Beyoncé told them she of course had no problem lip-synching the National Anthem if they preferred that to guarantee no major accidental missteps in front of the thousands there, the millions at-home around the country and the millions watching around the world. However, Kelly does shit differently. She proceeded to tell those in charge candidly in front of Beyoncé and all others in the room that she deeply prefers always singing live period. It's what she's always done. It's where she made her bones. And she was nervous that not performing live would fuck her up and stress her out. Exactly the opposite response most have regarding lip-synching. Usually it works the other way around lol. They compromised w/ her and let her do her thing. Please take note of how much she fuckin slayed that shit while being outdoors in D.C. in the Winter. She puts on a fuckin clinic. While icon Queen Bee herself deferred, Kelly stepped up like boss to perform live under the circumstances and then she stepped up again to slay that shit sideways. (entire story delivered by Kelly herself in an interview) czcams.com/video/034fNYyY9HU/video.html czcams.com/video/qGDH18R7GfA/video.html
Kelly was going through her divorce during this time which made me more emotional listening to her sing it. I was crying at the end of this when I first heard it. She sounds so beautiful. ♥️❤️💖
Kennedy Center Honors. Kelly has been invited in the past. I love this stripped down version. Very brave to do when doing any cover NOT in front of the artist. Beautifully done. Hey check out Meaning of life Nashville Sessions. Its a Kelly original. That voice and her band its 🔥 thanks for the reaction.
I may be a woman but seeing grown men cry has always gotten to me too. I think it's because as far as I have seen in my generation & older generations, so many men were taught not to. So when a man does & especially does not apologize, it means more.
@2:19 It means you have empathy. Some people call it being an Empath, which just means that you feel it deeper and easier than most. I've been that way my entire life and I've had many people throughout my life call me a cry baby because I feel others emotions so deeply, especially their sadness.
Her voice is both raw emotion and refined technique, one of a kind. When you can touch a nerve in the legend himself, now that's a tribute. Chris Stapleton paid his respect to Garth Brooks in the building singing "Shameless". This one brought a year to his eye as well. I highly recommend when you get the chance.
Kelly can draw you into any song that she sings whether it's hers or not. She has a God-given talent like no other. She always pours her heart into every song. I'm sure she was on the verge of tears having to sing this song when her heart was breaking because of her divorce from Brandon Blackstock. Thank you so much for your reaction to this song!! You should check out all of Kelly's songs of the Meaning of Life album. It's the first album that she's done since her contractually obligated thing that she had to do since she won American Idol in 2002. She had to have RC records as her labeling company until 2017. In 2018 she wrote the album Meaning of Life. This album is an album that she wanted to write now 20 years ago when she won American Idol. The songs are what she got to pick and most of them she wrote herself.
I think part of why Garth was getting emotional is that he and his wife are friends with Kelly and she was going through a rough divorce at the time of this performance, so the song is especially poignant at that time in her life.
My top 5 faves of her! Queen Kelly
That’s called empathy and never apologize for it. ❤
It’s an empathetic person who becomes emotional when witnessing another’s strong emotions.
That lady is Debbie Allen she was one of the people being honored that year. This was for the Kennedy Center Honors. They choose people each year to honor. Kelly was one of the people asked to honor Garth that year. Another year, she was asked to honor Reba and sang "Fancy"
When a Hall-of-Famer in any genre of singing is retiring, has an anniversary, a birthday, or is in any context where a tribute of the highest order for them is needed, it's clear af who the industry's go-to performer is and has been over the last 7-8 years. Kelly performing at tributes are littered across CZcams. With the copious amount of iron-clad data that CZcams alone has collected, it's borderline empirically-proven that a large portion, if not a majority, of the music industry have bestowed Kelly w/ the highest possible accolade that a singer can receive/earn (imho). She's unambiguously been accepted as being arguably the 'Greatest Singer Alive.' She's been elevated to the absolute top-tier of active singers. With only one or two others considered to presently be her true peer.
(remember this is not at all about sales data or other factors, instead it's solely about pure demonstrable singing...ability, tone, talent, and skills)
For me, I think of it as similar to the perpetual debate in Hip Hop of who's the 'Greatest Rapper Alive?' And in turn, who's the 'Greatest Singer Alive?' Meaning said rapper or singer is currently still performing (on wax and/or live) in their prime or at a comparable peak-like level. And doing so demonstrably by dropping relevant content of any kind for public consumption w/ at least enough regularity to be culturally considered an active singer/recording artist.
I also feel there is rarely a universally-accepted, consensus #1 (i.e. 'greatest X alive') in any sector, medium, or genre w/i the entertainment industry. What typically happens is the relevant communities and the culture at-large indirectly nominates, for lack of a better word, a few individuals (2 or 3 usually) that are basically universally-accepted as being arguably the 'greatest X alive.' The debate is narrowed down to essentially the consensus finalists but is rarely definitively resolved.
Or in other words, Kelly became a damn-near unanimous first ballot Hall-of Famer about 6-8 years ago although she won't be eligible for the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame until either 2028 or 2029.
To wrap up, here's probably my favorite Kelly anecdote ever...(fyi, I legit love Beyoncé & mean no disrespect at all in the forthcoming tidbit. Again, please know I am throwing exactly zero shade at Mrs. Carter & am only recounting the confirmable details of the situation.) Kelly subtly flexed on Beyonce hard af during the 2013 Inauguration Ceremony for Obama. Albeit, I honestly don't think Kelly was consciously trying to do this or anything and it was obviously a non-topic at the time. But in hindsight...Kelly stepped up like a fuckin' boss twice on arguably our country's biggest international stage while Beyoncé understandably did the status quo like many before her.
Full context: during the little pre-ceremony meeting, both singers met w/ the politicians in charge of administrating the logistics of this presidential event w/ its several hundred thousand in-person spectators and its millions of at-home viewers. Those in charge told both singers the national anthem & My Country 'Tis of Thee is almost always lip-synched at POTUS Inaugurations like it is at most massive public broadcasts. Beyoncé told them she of course had no problem lip-synching the National Anthem if they preferred that to guarantee no major accidental missteps in front of the thousands there, the millions at-home around the country and the millions watching around the world. However, Kelly does shit differently. She proceeded to tell those in charge candidly in front of Beyoncé and all others in the room that she deeply prefers always singing live period. It's what she's always done. It's where she made her bones. And she was nervous that not performing live would fuck her up and stress her out. Exactly the opposite response most have regarding lip-synching. Usually it works the other way around lol. They compromised w/ her and let her do her thing. Please take note of how much she fuckin slayed that shit while being outdoors in D.C. in the Winter. She puts on a fuckin clinic. While icon Queen Bee herself deferred, Kelly stepped up like boss to perform live under the circumstances and then she stepped up again to slay that shit sideways. (entire story delivered by Kelly herself in an interview)
czcams.com/video/034fNYyY9HU/video.html
czcams.com/video/qGDH18R7GfA/video.html
Kelly was going through her divorce during this time which made me more emotional listening to her sing it. I was crying at the end of this when I first heard it. She sounds so beautiful. ♥️❤️💖
Kennedy Center Honors. Kelly has been invited in the past. I love this stripped down version. Very brave to do when doing any cover NOT in front of the artist. Beautifully done. Hey check out Meaning of life Nashville Sessions. Its a Kelly original. That voice and her band its 🔥 thanks for the reaction.
I may be a woman but seeing grown men cry has always gotten to me too. I think it's because as far as I have seen in my generation & older generations, so many men were taught not to. So when a man does & especially does not apologize, it means more.
@2:19 It means you have empathy. Some people call it being an Empath, which just means that you feel it deeper and easier than most.
I've been that way my entire life and I've had many people throughout my life call me a cry baby because I feel others emotions so deeply, especially their sadness.
Check out the song they did on her talk show @ Christmas
Her voice is both raw emotion and refined technique, one of a kind. When you can touch a nerve in the legend himself, now that's a tribute. Chris Stapleton paid his respect to Garth Brooks in the building singing "Shameless". This one brought a year to his eye as well. I highly recommend when you get the chance.
Kelly can draw you into any song that she sings whether it's hers or not. She has a God-given talent like no other. She always pours her heart into every song. I'm sure she was on the verge of tears having to sing this song when her heart was breaking because of her divorce from Brandon Blackstock.
Thank you so much for your reaction to this song!! You should check out all of Kelly's songs of the Meaning of Life album. It's the first album that she's done since her contractually obligated thing that she had to do since she won American Idol in 2002. She had to have RC records as her labeling company until 2017. In 2018 she wrote the album Meaning of Life. This album is an album that she wanted to write now 20 years ago when she won American Idol. The songs are what she got to pick and most of them she wrote herself.
That was Debbie Allen.
Empathy!
I think part of why Garth was getting emotional is that he and his wife are friends with Kelly and she was going through a rough divorce at the time of this performance, so the song is especially poignant at that time in her life.