Kelly Clarkson And Dolly Parton Blow Fans Away With Reimagined ‘9 To 5’ Duet

Jan 01, 2023

Dolly Parton is an icon who has been in the spotlight for decades as one of the best country singers and musicians of all time. Parton has become a legend in the entertainment industry because of her bubbly personality, unique vocal tone and beautiful songwriting skills. 

Parton's musical talents became known early, and it wasn't long before she began writing her own songs. After graduating high school in 1964, then-18-year-old Parton moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to become a star. Incidentally, she kicked off what would be a legendary career that year and met the love of her life, her future husband, Carl Dean. The couple has been happily married for 56 years, but Dean tends to stay out of the spotlight.

While Parton is most notably known for her contribution to country music, she is also known for her philanthropic works, including a charitable organization she founded herself. 

Perhaps the "Jolene" singer's humble beginnings are the reason for her kindness. Parton grew up as one of 12 children in a poor Tennessee family, and her journey to stardom is one that draws an outpouring of love and admiration.

Beloved by many, Parton even opened Dollywood — a theme park in her honor. Apart from the holistic benefits, the organization also offers free tuition to their employees who wish to pursue further education.

To this day, Parton is still an icon, so it’s not surprising that people want to honor her by covering her songs. When Parton visited “The Kelly Clarkson Show” in late 2022, she teamed up with host Kelly Clarkson to cover one of her classic songs – and fans couldn’t get enough of their collaboration.

Clarkson has been a household name since her 2002 win on "American Idol." The singer has since gone on to sell millions of copies of her albums and tour across the world, with hits such as "Since U Been Gone," "My Life Would Suck Without You," and "Because Of You."

Along with being a highly accomplished singer, Clarkson has also gone on to become a judge for another singing competition series called "The Voice," and is even the host of her own talk show.

On “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Clarkson performs outstanding renditions of songs from all genres. Back in December 2020, the singer covered a Parton Christmas classic, “Hard Candy Christmas,” from the 1984 holiday album “Once Upon a Christmas.” Clarkson charmed audiences with her warmth and presence during challenging times.

In December 2022, Clarkson kicked it up a notch by interviewing the country music legend herself. During this appearance, Parton told Clarkson that in 2015 she wrote a song — a hit by her account — and then buried it in a time capsule that's set to be opened in 2045. The event coincided with the opening of her Dollywood DreamMore resort, but it seems like Parton has had second thoughts. She said:

"You have no idea how that has bothered me. I wanna go dig that up so bad ... It’s a really good song!”

Parton added:

“I don’t know whose damn idea that was. ... They weren’t expecting me to be there at all, and I probably won’t be. I might be there, who knows ... I figure it’ll probably disintegrate and nobody will ever hear it, that’s what bothers me. If it rots in there before they open it.”

During Parton's visit to "The Kelly Clarkson Show," the musician gave audiences an iconic performance of her hit "9 to 5," alongside none other than Clarkson! The duo performed a duet of their rerecording of the 1980 hit track, which appeared in the 2022 film "Still Working 9 to 5."

It was a performance heavily loved by both Clarkson and Parton, and of course, by “The Kelly Clarkson Show” audience. Clarkson posted about it on Instagram with the caption:

“Working 9 to 5 is way more fun with @dollyparton! 🎶 Tune in to the @kellyclarksonshow today! #Kellyoke.”

The talk show uploaded a behind-the-scenes video on its YouTube account, where fans had the chance to see how the iconic duet came to be. Clarkson had previously recorded a new version of “9 to 5,” but Parton’s version was too legendary not to perform. So, the pair decided to blend the old and new versions together, making for one unforgettable performance. Even Clarkson couldn’t contain her excitement over singing with Parton!

The actual performance was as incredible as anyone could have imagined. A video of it was uploaded in December 2022 with the caption, “In an extra special Kellyoke duet, Kelly Clarkson and Dolly Parton perform a reimagined version of ‘9 To 5’ with My Band Y'all!”

Fans were thrilled by the collaboration and left plenty of positive comments. One person commented, “A national treasure duetting with a national treasure. What a treat.” Another said, “I love how Kelly harmonized and let Dolly shine through this performance, sure that she is fangirling over her.” 

A third person added, “Wow I loved the arrangement they did with the reimagined and original one, Dolly still sings amazing and Kelly harmonized beautifully. What a good duet.”

What did you think of Kelly Clarkson and Dolly Parton’s duet? What other song would you like to see them sing together? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends.