Kelly Clarkson Turns Country Balladeer With Trisha Yearwood Favorite for ‘Kellyoke’

Kelly Clarkson channeled her best Trisha Yearwood on Tuesday (Oct. 25) to belt out “How Do I Live” for her latest Kellyoke musical number on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

“How do I get through one night without you/ If I had to live without you, what kind of life would that be?/ Oh and I, I need you in my arms, need you to hold/ You’re my world, my heart, my soul/ If you ever leave/ Baby you would take away everything good in my life/ And tell me now/ How do I live without you?” she sang, wearing a yellow maxi dress printed with blue flowers and her hair up in a high pony.

Both Yearwood and LeAnn Rimes recorded the ballad in the late ’90s, and the versions were released simultaneously on May 23, 1997. While Yearwood’s rendition was featured in the action film Con Air, Rimes’ recording outperformed its twin on the charts, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 behind Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind 1997” and setting a record at the time for spending 69 consecutive weeks on the chart. Since then, six songs have surpassed that feat, with Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” being recently crowned the new record-holder at 91 weeks (and counting).

This is hardly the first time Clarkson has covered Yearwood on her talk show: Earlier this month, she tackled 1991’s “That’s What I Like About You” and last year she took on 1993’s “Walkaway Joe.” Plus, Yearwood and husband Garth Brooks have both been repeat guests on the show.

Watch Clarkson cover “How Do I Live” below:

Glenn Rowley

Billboard