She walked into the American Idol auditions in Dallas as a young, nervous girl with a whole lot of talent and left America’s favorite sweetheart. Her southern charm and unbelievable voice have made Kelly Clarkson one of the world’s greatest musicians.

Long before she came out with her smash-hits “Breakaway”, “Since You Been Gone” or “A Moment Like This”, Kelly Clarkson was knocking the judges’ socks off with her raw rendition of Etta James’ classic “At Last”. From the moment she opened her mouth to sing “At Last” at her first audition, the judges were hooked.

To commemorate this iconic anniversary in American Idol history, Kelly Clarkson is back to sing this timeless classic! But what would any good tribute be without a little throwback? This video starts off with a clip of that very first audition from a young, early 2000’s Kelly Clarkson.

It’s crazy to see how young she looked and see her sing before the training and madness of American Idol. Although she has become one of the country’s biggest stars, her beautiful talent and sweet personality have remained the same!

See Kelly Clarkson belt out Etta James’ “At Last” before and now in this beautiful tribute performance! What do you think of the difference in her from then till now?

Personally, I love her just as much now as then! Watch this amazing performance and be sure to SHARE with your friends!