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Kelly Clarkson performs stirring 'The Dance' tribute for Garth Brooks at Kennedy Center Honors

By Megan Armstrong | Last updated 6/3/21

The 43rd Kennedy Center Honors ceremony won't air until Sunday (June 6), but People shared an exclusive clip Wednesday (June 2) that showed Kelly Clarkson singing "The Dance" as a tribute to honoree Garth Brooks, as the 59-year-old and his wife Trisha Yearwood became visibly emotional.

Brooks originally released "The Dance" in April 1989, when Clarkson was only seven years old, but Clarkson told the two-time Grammy winner how much the song helped her work through her divorce when he stopped by her daytime talk show last December:

During the same episode, Brooks revealed that he was this close to never putting "The Dance" out in the first place:

Brooks is joined by Debbie Allen, Joan Baez, Midori and Richard Van Dyke as this year's Kennedy Center Honors honorees. Learn more about the 2020 class at the official website.

The ceremony will begin at 8 p.m. EST Sunday on CBS.

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