Kelly Clarkson Covers Nat King Cole's Classic Hit 'Unforgettable' for Kellyoke Segment on MLK Day

Kelly Clarkson is jazzing up her Kellyoke segment!

Slowing down the tempo for the Monday episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, the 40-year-old host performed a charming cover of Nat King Cole's 1951 jazz classic "Unforgettable" in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day during the daily segment.

During the performance, Clarkson wore a flowing red dress with a matching belt, as she was backed by an upright bass, keys, drums and the works — giving the moment the classic feel it deserved.

RELATED: Watch Kelly Clarkson Perform 2004's 'Breakaway' as a Duet with Sam Smith During Kellyoke Segment

Cindy Ord/Getty Kelly Clarkson

With blue lights backing the "Breakaway" musician and her band, which is fittingly called My Band Y'all, Clarkson delivered a strong vocal performance that was met with thunderous applause from her live studio audience.

"That was 'Unforgettable' by Nat King Cole, who was an outspoken voice in the Civil Rights Movement as well as just one of the greatest artists ever," Clarkson said after the performance. "He was the first African-American to host a network TV show. I did not know that. I thought that was cool information."

Clarkson then continued giving her crowd a history lesson on Cole, adding that he'd sue hotels that wouldn't let him stay the night and also marched on Washington with Dr. King in 1963.

"Before his passing, Martin Luther King Jr. actually wrote him a telegram saying, 'You have my constant prayers, I will always be indebted to you for your support in this struggle,' which is an incredible thing I didn't know as well."

The Kelly Clarkson Show Kelly Clarkson

While this may mark the first time the American Idol winner has covered a Cole song, it isn't the first time she's recommended one to her fans. In her curated holiday playlist on iHeartRadio, Clarkson included a rendition of Cole's "The Christmas Song" featuring John Legend.

RELATED: Kelly Clarkson Croons Through a Jazzy Cover of Labelle's 'Lady Marmalade' for Kellyoke Segment

Clarkson has also already reeled in the year by adding a few Kellyoke performances under her belt, including one of Katy Perry's 2011 hit single "The One That Got Away."

During that performance, Clarkson was joined by just her guitarist Jaco Caraco as she took on the pop ballad's brokenhearted lyrics with acoustic flair. Of course, the song itself felt especially pertinent to Clarkson's life, as she settled her divorce from ex Brandon Blackstock in March 2022.

Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images Kelly Clarkson

The singer chatted with Khloé Kardashian on The Kelly Clarkson Show about what it takes to fall out of love back in October, asking her what it meant to "learn to un-love" her ex Tristan Thompson.

"It's hard. I think it's the most ridiculous thing sometimes when something doesn't work out and you're in a relationship and you're so deeply in love — and people are like 'Oh yeah, why can't you [move on],'" Clarkson said.

"I think I might always love that person, I don't know if it goes away."

Other recent songs performed on Kellyoke include Olivia Newton-John's "Hopelessly Devoted to You," Gin Blossoms' "Found Out About You," "I'll Be Home for Christmas," and Labelle's 1974 hit "Lady Marmalade."