Kelly Clarkson struggles to sing Jon Bon Jovi hit 'Blaze of Glory': 'So ridiculous'
Kelly Clarkson is known for her vocal firepower, but the singer’s recent tribute to a rock legend almost went down in flames.
On Thursday’s episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” the first “American Idol” winner performed a cover of “Blaze of Glory” by Jon Bon Jovi for the talk show’s Kellyoke segment. The performance was in honor of Bon Jovi, a guest on the show.
While introducing a blooper reel for the performance, Clarkson said the early ‘90s hard-rock hit was “the song that almost killed me,” as she revealed that she struggled to remember the song’s lyrics.
“I grew up on that song. I know that song, but in rehearsal, I messed it up, like, a gazillion times,” Clarkson told the studio audience. “Not even because I wasn’t hitting the notes, I just couldn’t read. I just kept saying the wrong words.”
She added: “It got so ridiculous, I had to ‘Let It Go’ like Elsa for a minute. And then I had someone come rescue me.”
Clarkson then played a series of unsuccessful takes from her Jon Bon Jovi cover. The “Favorite Kind of High” singer tried to take her first flub in stride, laughing off the lyrical mix-up.
“Oh, man,” Clarkson said onstage. “My learning disability kicked in, and I said, ‘Let the boy like die a man.’ Yup, and it’s definitely not that.”
However, Clarkson became increasingly flustered as she continued to botch the song’s lyrics, with the singer screaming into her microphone at one point. “Let me fake my final stand,” she yelled in amazement at the incorrect line.
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Lucky for Clarkson, Bon Jovi came to her “rescue” with some moral support.
The Bon Jovi frontman walked out onstage, prompting Clarkson to fall on the floor in defeat. Bon Jovi hugged her as she marveled at her musical gaffe.
“Come on, girlfriend!” Bon Jovi said with playful encouragement, to which Clarkson replied, “I can’t say the right words.”
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Released in July 1990, “Blaze of Glory” appeared on the soundtrack of the Western action film “Young Guns II” and peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also earned Bon Jovi a Golden Globe for best original song and a pair of Grammy nominations (best male rock vocal performance and best song written for visual media).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kelly Clarkson says Jon Bon Jovi cover 'almost killed me': Watch
