Kelly Clarkson’s Feisty Jo Dee Messina Cover Leaves Fans Begging For More
Kelly Clarkson covered "A Lesson in Leavin'" as a tribute to Jo Dee Messina on "The Kelly Clarkson Show." (Photo Credits: The Kelly Clarkson Show / YouTube)
Jo Dee Messina’s “A Lesson In Leavin'” Gets The “Kellyoke” Treatment
A few years ago, Kelly Clarkson sang Jo Dee Messina‘s iconic hit “Bye Bye” during the “Kellyoke” segment of The Kelly Clarkson Show. Since then, fans have been counting down the days until she’d sing another one of Messina’s hits.
That day finally arrived in March 2026. Clarkson shared her spin on “A Lesson in Leavin’,” which Messina released as a single in 1999.
However, Messina wasn’t the first artist to record the fierce and feisty track. Randy Goodrum and Brent Maher wrote the song, which was first released by Dottie West in 1979.
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West’s version reached the #1 spot on the Hot Country Songs chart and was the first solo chart-topper of her career.
20 years later, Messina’s version peaked at #2 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Her version has been certified Gold by the RIAA for the sale of over 500,000 units.
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Clarkson didn’t stray too far from the style of Messina’s recording when she sang “A Lesson in Leavin'” for “Kellyoke.” Still, she managed to give the song her own style by tossing in some sky-high notes to showcase her range.
Overall, Clarkson’s performance was cool, confident, and undoubtedly country, which fans thoroughly enjoyed!
Fans React To Kelly Clarkson’s Joe Dee Messina Cover
As good as Clarkson’s performance was, it left some of her fans feeling a little sad. In case you haven’t heard, The Kelly Clarkson Show is ending after its current season, which means no more “Kellyoke” performances.
“What are we going to do without Kellyoke anymore??” one fan commented on the video of Clarkson’s “A Lesson in Leavin'” cover on YouTube.
Another viewer wrote, “It’s going to be a sad day when Kelly is gone.”
“My dream is to be able to continue listening to Kelly Clarkson singing forever! I hope she keeps updated!” someone else commented.
Another fan said, “Oh Kelly you are so talented and we are going to miss kellyoke.”
Clarkson’s performance also left her fans begging for more…specifically, they are begging for more country covers! Or, as a true dream-come-true, an entire country album.
Fans commenting on the Instagram video of the performance wrote:
“Still holding out for a country album Kelly.”
“Country album when?“
“I would empty my entire bank account for a Kelly Does 90s Country album.”
“Girl give us a country album.”
“Okay…. time for a country album!!“
Messina also shared her reaction in the comments, writing, “WAHOOOOOO !!!!! Go girl !!!! I LOVE it.“
It’s obvious that Clarkson’s fans (and Messina) love it when she sings country music!
Now, you can watch Kelly Clarkson cover Jo Dee Messina’s “A Lesson in Leavin'” in the video below. Which country hit would you like to hear her sing next?
