Kelly Clarkson Gushes Over Michael Bolton During Dreamy Impromptu Performance Together

Feb 10, 2023

Kelly Clarkson first became a household name in 2002 following her win on the hit competition series “American Idol.” Since then, the singer has gone on to sell millions of copies of her albums and tour across the world. Some of her most notable hits include “Since U Been Gone,” “My Life Would Suck Without You,” and “Because Of You.” 

With an incredible vocal tone and range, Clarkson has easily become one of the best and most recognizable singers in the world.

When Clarkson first entered the music industry, she had a very girl-next-door look with a bit of an edge. Like most superstars, her look and style changed as the years progressed, and Clarkson discovered more sides of herself. 

Along with being a highly accomplished singer, Clarkson has also appeared in a variety of films and TV shows and has gone on to become one of the most beloved women in the entertainment industry due to her hilarious personality and charming wit. She went on to become a judge for another singing competition series called “The Voice,” and is even the host of her own talk show, “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”

Along with interviewing celebrities on her talk show, Clarkson has also made sure that she can still show the world how powerful a vocalist and singer she is. She has performed a handful of duets with famous stars over the course of her show, albeit mostly planned. 

However, in February 2023, Clarkson performed an impromptu duet with her guest, Michael Bolton, and it left fans wanting more.

Bolton is no stranger to sharing his musical talents with the world. Back in the early 2010s, Bolton joined the likes of Seal and David Foster for a powerful performance of “When a Man Loves a Woman” and “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” Foster is one of the musical greats, and with his dynamic piano accompaniment, he made Bolton and Seal’s performances really stand out.

It’s rare that so many talented musicians are on the same stage together accompanied by a full orchestra, but for the PBS television special “Hitman Returns,” which aired back in 2011, the greats joined forces for a knockout performance.

Bolton’s energy was undeniably present during his take on “When a Man Loves a Woman.” Seal then appeared on stage and interrupted Bolton’s performance, saying, “Wow, Michael. You know that was pretty sensational, but I have a slightly different take on things.” 

The singer set his microphone stand down and sang “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” – and the audience clearly approved of the impromptu switch. 

Having worked with so many artists over the years, you would think that Bolton has crossed everyone off his bucket list. However, in a March 2022 interview with E! Insider, he shared that there was an artist he would love to work with – Kelly Clarkson. 

Bolton shared that collaborating with the “Mr. Know It All” singer would be his dream duet. “I’m already working on it, right now,” he explained. 

Bolton continued:

“Anything she sings sounds like perfection to me. And I’m a pretty critical listener. And she just always steps up to the mic and just destroys it. She goes right to her deep, powerful place and just nails it. So she’s one of my favorite singers in my lifetime.”

So when Bolton was a guest on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” it wasn’t surprising that he expressed his interest in collaborating with Clarkson. “There is one artist in particular I would really love to sing with,” Bolton said before pointing at Clarkson.

Clarkson instantly melted and tried to brush off her fangirling moment. “You’re full of it. You’re on my show. They made you say it,” she said. The singer added that she would duet with Bolton in that instant, though, and Bolton happily accepted.

Almost naturally, the two broke out into song together with one of Bolton’s most recognizable tracks – so recognizable, in fact, that Clarkson knew what it was just from the first note. Together, the vocal powerhouses performed an impromptu take of “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You.”

The duo harmonized flawlessly together to the point you would have thought they rehearsed it over and over. Actress Alison Brie, who was also a guest on the episode, joined Bolton and Clarkson for the final few notes.

Fans were over-the-moon with the duet and showed their appreciation in the video’s comment section. One person commented, “You often hear artists say how they wanted to play it cool’ when meeting people they just adore, Kelly is like nope, ‘OMG, I LOVE YOU!’”

“I would absolutely love a full version of this song. Please make it happen!” another person said. A third commented, “We need a Michael Kelly duet album!”

Another person said, “Why did I tear up a little??? I have loved Michael Bolton for MANY MANY years and I love Kelly’s voice! That was a perfect collaboration!”

What did you think of this Kelly Clarkson and Michael Bolton duet? Who would your dream celebrity duet be? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends!