Kelly Clarkson Performs Beach Boys Hit 'God Only Knows' — With Iconic Help

Jun 28, 2021 by apost team

Kelly Clarkson performed a beautiful rendition of a classic song from the Beach Boys on her talk show "The Kelly Clarkson Show" on June 24, 2021. Alongside some special guests, Clarkson blew her audience away with her breathtaking vocals, like she has many times in the past. During her talk show, Clarkson typically performs at least one song to highlight some of the most popular songs in music at the moment, as well as to remind people what made her so famous in the first place.

Best known for her amazing talents in singing and songwriting, Clarkson has also ventured out over the years and showcased her skills as an author, actress, and television personality. With a powerful voice full of heart and emotion, the "American Idol" winner has covered a number of songs on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," and has never failed to make each version truly memorable and special. The Kellyoke segment has become a hit with fans, as it's a fun way to bring everyone together. 

Sticking with the theme, Clarkson opted to sing "God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys, a song about recognizing how much you love someone and how grateful you are to have that person in your life. Bringing together multiple generations of a famous family, Clarkson showcased not only her talent, but the talent of members from the musical groups Wilson Phillips and the Beach Boys. Together this musical family introduced yet another generation of talent to the world as they all performed "God Only Knows" alongside Clarkson.

A Musical Family

Forming in Hawthorne, California, in 1961, the Beach Boys has become one of the most influential acts in the music industry, as they have blended a variety of musical genres to create their own unique sound. The original lineup of the Beach Boys consisted of members Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine. Love, Jardine and Brian are currently still in the group, alongside their other group member Bruce Jonhston. The Beach Boys have gone on to inspire plenty of musicians and helped develop musical genre movements such as psychedelia and lo-fi. Rolling Stone also credited the band as one of the 100 greatest artists of all time. 

While Brian is still very active in the group and in the music industry, he has also made sure to pass down his genius talents to his children Carnie Wilson and Wendy Wilson. Together, the two daughters have gone on to be in their own famous band called Wilson Phillips alongside their third group member Chynna Phillips. The latter's parents are John Phillips and Michelle Phillips from the folk-rock group The Mamas & The Papas.

Talent must be in the family bloodline because Carnie's 16-year-old daughter, Lola Sofia Bonfiglio has already expressed her interest in music and has had a chance to showcase her beautiful skills in the field. Separately, the family members have gone on to show off their talents, and the first two generations have achieved extreme fame and success, while Lola is still coming into her own as an up-and-coming artist.

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The song "God Only Knows" is from the 1966 Beach Boys album "Pet Sounds," and was written by Brian, one of the band's founders and musicians. Not only did the song serve as one of the group's most successful hits, but it has stayed relevant in popular culture with plenty of covers of the song, including renditions from Elvis Costello, David Bowie, and Bryan Adams, according to Outsider. Now, the song has been featured on "The Kelly Clarkson Show."

At the beginning of the performance, Clarkson stood behind her microphone and sang the opening lyrics as a heartfelt video played in the background that showed families, friends, and partners emotionally hugging each other. The camera panned across the stage and revealed Brian, Carnie, Wendy and Lola performing alongside each other. The three generations of the Wilson family all showed off their individually unique talents, as Brian sang while playing the piano and the three ladies sang their hearts out.

Outsider reported that this marked the first time the three generations had ever performed together on a public stage. The singers' voices blended together smoothly and harmoniously as they sang out the iconic lyrics, "God only knows what I'd be without you." With different vocal tones and agility, the women and Brian put on a stunning performance of a Beach Boys' classic. 

Carnie expressed just how much the performance meant to her on her Instagram stories. "I knew I'd be an emotional wreck, but it was really something else," she said, and added that seeing her daughter perform alongside everyone was the "most beautiful thing" she's ever seen.

What did you think about this performance starring Kelly Clarkson and three generations of the Wilson family? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to send this to your friends and family, too!