When news broke that legendary songstress Etta James had died due to complications from leukemia, many pop stars took to Twitter to express their grief over Miss Peaches’ passing. Instead of writing some kind words on the Internet to remember Etta James, Kelly Clarkson took it one step further by performing James’ song ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ at her concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Jan. 21.

Standing atop the stage illuminated in bright blue shades, Ms. Clarkson delivered her absolutely flawless rendition of ‘I’d Rather Go Blind.’ Clarkson has a soulful voice, but hearing the Texas native sing the bluesy, R&B classic (as opposed to the uptempo pop tracks she has become famous for) really brought this vocal quality to the forefront. As she belted out the song, Clarkson’s voice reached staggering heights, as she nailed huge, roof-shattering notes as well as sweeter, high-pitched notes.

If Ms. James were still alive to hear Clarkson’s version of ‘I’d Rather Go Blind,’ we’re sure she would’ve been as astounded as we were while listening. Just like many of her fellow soulful pop divas — including Beyonce, who portrayed James in ‘Cadillac Records’ and was devastated to learn of the singer’s death — James has had a major influence on Clarkson. The ‘Stronger’ songstress even auditioned for the first-ever season of ‘American Idol,’ which shot her to superstardom, with James’ ‘At Last.’

Watch Kelly Clarkson Perform Etta James’ ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’

Popcrush » Hot Off the PressSource: PopCrush.com

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