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Kelly Clarkson delivered a stunning rendition of a heartache ballad that legendary country star Willie Nelson recorded in the early 2000s as a tribute to the songwriter.
Nelson released the 13-track tribute album, You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker, in 2006. The project dedicated to Texas-born singer-songwriter Cindy Walker includes “Not That I Care,” which Clarkson covered on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Wednesday (December 4). Find Nelson’s full album on iHeartRadio here.
“Once I thought I couldn't live without her/ Funny how wrong I could be/ Now, I never even think about her/ And what she does, doesn't mean a thing to me/ Well, it's late so I guess I'll be going/ Too much smoke, what I need is some air/ And by the way, did she ask you about me?/ I just wonder, not that I care”
“That was Willie Nelson’s version of ‘Not That I Care,’ which he recorded for a tribute to the songwriter in 2006,” Clarkson said after her performance. “This is crazy. At 91, Willie is as busy as ever. He recently dropped his 1153rd album [Last Leaf On The Tree]. You cannot say that stoners aren’t productive because he’s the ultimate and I don’t know anyone that even owns 153 albums, you know what I’m saying? That’s a lot. He’s just smoking it out in a studio, just all day long. It is crazy. And just putting out such a great catalog. I love him. We’ve covered him quite a bit on the show. I love him so much.”
Watch Clarkson’s performance here: