There are a whole lot of reasons to respect and admire Kelly Clarkson.
Here’s another: When her “Stronger” tour stopped in Atlanta Thursday night, she shared the stage with an old friend, Tamyra Gray.
It was for a special occasion: The first time Kelly had performed a Whitney Houston song since the diva’s death.
And talk about an introduction. “She’s one of the most amazing singers I’ve heard — ever,” Kelly said in introducing Tamyra, who finished fourth back on Season 1 of Idol.
“She’s such a sweet person as well and such a talented girl,” Kelly continued.
That talented girl, now 32, remains one of the best singers to fall short of the Idol finals.
She’s currently in Atlanta performing in a play, “Our Time Has Come,” about the nation’s first black president — a play written before the election of Barack Obama.
The play opened Feb. 14 and runs through March 4. Tamyra plays the president’s daughter and the narrator for the story.
After Idol, Tamyra was featured on a duet on Kelly’s debut album, appeared on the TV show “Boston Public” and co-wrote “I Believe,” the coronation song for Idol Season 3.
Her only album, “The Dreamer,” was released in 2004 and was one of the best unheralded Idol albums I listened to when putting together the Idol CD History section of this blog.
It’s not available on iTunes, but you can pick up a copy through Amazon.
Anyway, here are two video clips of Kelly and Tamyra singing “Waiting to Exhale” (the second was shot from farther away but has better audio), followed by a video of Tamyra talking about her role in that Atlanta play.
Coming full circle, the interview also reveals the advice Tamyra once got from Whitney Houston. Enjoy.
Former Idol Finalist in “Our Time Has Come”: MyFoxATLANTA.com
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