
It’s official folks, Kelly Clarkson, North Texas native, and the first-ever American Idol winner, will take the stage at the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony.
No, her name didn’t appear on any ballot, Clarkson will instead take the stage to honor rock legends Foreigner, singing a rendition of one of their iconic songs.
Clarkson herself currently hosts her own nationally syndicated talk show “Kelly” on NBC, where she’s been known to sing a song or two. Over her ten years on the air, she covered everything from The Church’s “Under the Milky Way Tonight,” to, yep, Foreigner's hit “I Want to Know What Love Is” in 2016.
Although there hasn’t been any verification as to which Foreigner tune she will sing, Clarkson’s involvement in this year’s Rock Hall ceremony was verified by the Rock Hall on its Instagram page on Oct. 3.
“This is pretty cool,” Clarkson wrote on social media. “I’m gonna be at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, because I get to help honor the legendary band Foreigner, which I am so stoked about. t’s gonna be so good. I am so honored. I hope I don’t mess up.”
Clarkson marks the second American Idol contestant to appear at the Rock Hall in Cleveland. Last year, Carrie Underwood took part in a George Michael tribute where she performed his song “One More Try.”
And for those of you who weren’t alive during Foreigner’s hey days in the lates ‘70s and ‘80s, they had the hits. Originally made up of founding members guitarist Mick Jones, vocalist Lou Gramm, drummer Dennis Elliot, keyboardist Al Greenwood, bassist Ed Gagliardi, and multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald, Foreigner is one of the world's best-selling bands.
Not just of the ‘80s but of all time.
The band’s name comes from the fact that members would be foreigners no matter what country they played in. Some of the bands biggest hits include, “Urgent,” “Hot Blooded,” and “Jukebox Hero,” to name a few.
The 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on Oct. 19 at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. Other artist being inducted this year include Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Mathews Band, Peter Frampton, and Cher.
The event will air live on Disney+ at 7 p.m. Some of the performances and introductions will be during a TV special titled 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, on Jan. 1, 2025 on ABC.