"Christmas at the Opry" host Wynonna Judd opened NBC's Thursday night (Dec. 7) broadcast with a worthy duet partner. Kelly Clarkson joined Judd for "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," a song that dates back to the 1930s. Judd, Clarkson and the house band's rendition was in the spirit of the Jackson 5's energetic 1970 recording, allowing both to add dashes of soul to their performances.
Two vocal powerhouses held their own with each other, though admittedly, Clarkson was a little anxious about sharing one of country music's most hallowed stages —the Opry House's circle— with one of the genre's living legends.
"I was like a child on that stage with her," Clarkson said (as quoted by Yahoo!). "So, yeah, she probably had to tell me to calm down a couple of times."
One commenter suggested that Clarkson be named an honorary Judd. Another observed that there's "literally no one who Kelly can't harmonize with."
Clarkson wore a luxurious, shimmering, emerald green gown with a layered skirt and see-through sleeves. Judd wore a black pant suit with a gold collar and cuffs.
The Judd-Clarkson duet opened the broadcast. Other performers included Lauren Alaina, Trace Adkins, Breland, Mickey Guyton, Chris Janson, Chrissy Metz, Mitchell Tenpenny, Meghan Patrick, Adam Doleac and the current holder of America's No. 1 song, Brenda Lee. Lee closed the show with an energetic take on "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," an evergreen hit from 1958.
The Judd-hosted seasonal special aired Thursday night (Dec. 7) on NBC. It's now streaming on Peacock. An encore will air Dec. 20 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.
Clarkson's been a regular on seasonal programming in 2023, between this, her hosting gig at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting and her own "The Kelly Clarkson Show."
