Serving the song, every night.
Music director means the arrangement, the band, the keys, the click, the cues — and making sure the artist never has to think about any of it.
Over twenty years, one artist
In 2001 a chance backstage conversation with Randy Jackson on a Nick Carter tour turned, a year later, into an invitation: put a band together for two brand-new American Idol artists. One of them was Kelly Clarkson. Two Texans who credit the arts with changing their lives, we clicked immediately. I became her music director in 2003 and have been at the keys beside her ever since.
That has meant arena and amphitheater tours across two decades, the Two Worlds, Two Voices co-headline tour with Reba McEntire, the national anthem at Super Bowl XLVI, President Obama's second inauguration, the U.S. Open opening ceremony, the Billboard Music Awards openers Kelly hosted for three straight years, four Saturday Night Live appearances, the Grammys, and three Las Vegas residencies, including Chemistry at Planet Hollywood and Studio Sessions at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
My career would not be what it is without Jason Halbert.Kelly Clarkson, to Billboard
Paul Shaffer was one of my heroes growing up. I watched him, and here I am — the bald guy playing on TV.Jason Halbert
A new cover, every single show — for seven seasons
From the first episode in September 2019 to the finale on August 31, 2026, every show opened with a cover — a different song, arranged fresh, played live with My Band Y'all. “Kellyoke” became the show's signature, a reliable source of millions of views per performance, and a puzzle I got to solve well over a thousand times: how do you make a song Kelly's own in three minutes? The last one was “Golden.”
Texas Monthly, Vulture, E! News, Parade and Entertainment Weekly have all gone behind the scenes on how a Kellyoke comes together. Read the features.
On stage with
The big rooms
Two decades of live television with Kelly — arranged, produced and played by Jason and the band.
Kelly hosted three years running and opened each show with a medley Jason arranged and produced — nine hits in 2018, thirteen in 2019, and “Higher Love” with Pentatonix and Sheila E. in 2020.
Four musical-guest slots — Clay Aiken in 2004, then Kelly with “Since U Been Gone” and “Breakaway,” “My Life Would Suck Without You,” and “Stronger.”
“Because of You” with orchestra, “Don't You Wanna Stay” with Jason Aldean, and the Patti Page and Carole King tribute.
The national anthem at Super Bowl XLVI, “My Country, 'Tis of Thee” at the presidential inauguration, and the US Open's 50th-anniversary opening night.
Kennedy Center Honors tributes to Reba McEntire and Garth Brooks, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony with Foreigner.
Featured in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's “Get Schooled: You Have the Right,” simulcast across every Viacom network.
Every broadcast, 2003–2026
Kelly By Request finale performances incl. "Since U Been Gone" and "Piece by Piece" with the band after a seven-season run
"Underneath the Tree" (pre-recorded on the field with the Cowboys Cheerleaders)
With Lizzo: "Juice", "Good as Hell", "About Damn Time", "Someone like You"
With Teddy Swims: "Rock with You", "I Can't Make You Love Me", "Need You Now" and Swims originals
With Gloria Estefan: "Get On Your Feet", "Turn the Beat Around", "Coming Out of the Dark", "Mi Tierra", "Natural Woman", "Conga"
Acoustic collaborations with Jonas Brothers backed by Clarkson's band: "Year 3000", "When You Look Me in the Eyes", "Stayin' Alive", "Leave Before You Love Me", "Little Bird", "Love Me to Heaven", "Sucker"
24 shows Jul 11, 2025–Aug 15, 2026; originals plus Kellyoke covers in the encore
Season-opening plaza concert
Opened with "You for Christmas"; also "Underneath the Tree"
"I Want to Know What Love Is" with Foreigner's Lou Gramm and a gospel choir
"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" duet with Wynonna Judd
"Santa, Can't You Hear Me" and "Glow" — 20 years after her 2003 debut on the plaza
"lighthouse"
Chemistry-era plaza concert
14 shows Jul 28–Aug 19, 2023 and Dec 30, 2023–Feb 10, 2024
Hosted; duet of "Since U Been Gone" with Kirk Cousins in the Tom Brady tribute bit
"I Will Always Love You" in tribute to host Dolly Parton, with piano and guitar
Original songs and classics incl. "Santa, Can't You Hear Me" with Ariana Grande, "Under the Mistletoe" with Brett Eldredge, "Christmas Isn't Cancelled (Just You)"; guests Leslie Odom Jr., Amy Poehler, Melissa McCarthy, Jay Leno
"The Dance" in tribute to honoree Garth Brooks
Show opener "Higher Love" (Steve Winwood/Whitney Houston) with Pentatonix and Sheila E., closing with a Zoom choir — Jason Halbert's Facebook post credits his team for "another great opening to the Billboard Music Awards" assembled virtually under COVID restrictions, with Jessi Collins overseeing vocals
Daily Kellyoke covers with My Band Y'all, directed by keyboardist Jason Halbert; Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition in 2022, 2023 and 2026
Opening medley: "Meant to Be", "Eastside", "Boo'd Up", "Girls Like You", "The Middle", "One Kiss", "I Like It", "Love Lies", "High Hopes", "Tequila", "Material Girl", "Touch My Body", "Wow"; later "Broken & Beautiful"
"Broken & Beautiful" — TV debut
"Grown-Up Christmas List" with Pentatonix
"Fancy" in tribute to honoree Reba McEntire
"Heat" — sung live (no lip-sync) in sub-20°F cold
10-minute set: "Walk Away", "Since U Been Gone", "Miss Independent", "Stronger", "Heat", "Heartbeat Song"
Meaning of Life set incl. "Love So Soft", "Move You"
"The Star-Spangled Banner" (solo; her second Indy 500 anthem)
Opening medley of the year's hits: "My Church", "Too Good at Goodbyes", "Humble", "Thunder", "Young Dumb & Broke", "Finesse", "Shape of You", "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back", "Look What You Made Me Do"; later "Whole Lotta Woman"
Show opener "Everybody Hurts" with P!nk; later "Miss Independent" / "Love So Soft"
"Whole Lotta Woman" (Meaning of Life release week)
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" with Pentatonix
"Piece by Piece"
"Piece by Piece" — the tearful performance that became the Grammy-nominated "Piece by Piece (Idol Version)"
"Invincible"
"Heartbeat Song"
"History of Duets" medley with Jimmy Fallon (Piece by Piece release eve)
"Run Run Rudolph", "Silent Night" (w/ Reba McEntire & Trisha Yearwood), "My Favorite Things", "Wrapped in Red", "Please Come Home for Christmas", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "White Christmas", "Underneath the Tree"; guests Blake Shelton, Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, William Shatner, Jay Leno
Performed at the tree lighting (Wrapped in Red era; song not confirmed — likely "Underneath the Tree")
"Don't Rush" with Vince Gill
Tribute to Patti Page and Carole King: "Tennessee Waltz" into "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"; won Best Pop Vocal Album for Stronger
"My Country, 'Tis of Thee" — live, immediately after the inaugural address
"Catch My Breath"
Medley: "Miss Independent", "Since U Been Gone", "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)", "Catch My Breath"
"Don't Rush" with Vince Gill — introduced by Carrie Underwood
"Dark Side" / "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" medley
"Don't You Wanna Stay" with Jason Aldean
"The Star-Spangled Banner" with the Indianapolis Children's Choir
"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)", "Mr. Know It All"
Opening medley with Jennifer Hudson and Mary J. Blige incl. a soul rework of "Since U Been Gone"
"The Star-Spangled Banner" duet with Seal, David Foster on piano
"Don't You Wanna Stay" with Jason Aldean — TV debut of the duet, with orchestra
"Already Gone"
"Already Gone"
Outdoor mini-concert (All I Ever Wanted era)
Clarkson and LeBron James discuss the educators who shaped them; the special also profiles "three trusted professional colleagues who work behind the scenes for these celebrities" and how education prepared them
Live set, performed barefoot after rain delay
"My Life Would Suck Without You", "I Do Not Hook Up"
Set incl. "Walk Away", "Never Again", "Since U Been Gone" and My December songs
"Because of You", "Does He Love You", "Walk Away", "Why Haven't I Heard From You", "Since U Been Gone", "Fancy"
"Because of You" duet with Reba McEntire
Musical guest (My December launch week; song not confirmed — likely "Never Again")
Concert after the medal ceremony (Breakaway World Tour era)
"Because of You" with orchestra; won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album (Breakaway)
"Since U Been Gone" — barefoot, running through the crowd, rain-soaked finale
"The Star-Spangled Banner" via satellite from Kuwait during a USO tour
Performance during All-Star Saturday Night
"Since U Been Gone", "Breakaway"; also appeared in Subway Performers and Rap Night sketches
Holiday special with Ruben Studdard and Fantasia; incl. "You'll Never Walk Alone"
"Breakaway" and "Since U Been Gone" (Breakaway album launch)
Musical guest Clay Aiken, backed by Jason's band ahead of the Kelly Clarkson / Clay Aiken Independent Tour
"O Holy Night" — her first Rockefeller tree-lighting performance
Holiday special with Idol alumni; Clarkson performs
Stage & screen, year by year
- 1994
DC Talk
Joins the multi-platinum group as keyboardist — six years of touring, the entry point into the industry.
- 2001
Paulina Rubio · Nick Carter
Tours as keyboardist; meets Randy Jackson backstage in Los Angeles. Over the years the touring résumé also takes in Jordan Smith, Chris Tomlin and Charles Esten.
- 2003
Kelly Clarkson
Assembles the band for the first American Idol artists and becomes Kelly's music director.
- 2012
Super Bowl XLVI
Produces and performs the national anthem arrangement with Kelly in Indianapolis.
- 2013
Presidential inauguration
“My Country, 'Tis of Thee” at President Obama's second inauguration, Washington, D.C.
- 2018
Billboard Music Awards
Arranges and produces the opening medley for Kelly's first year as host — and again in 2019 and 2020.
- 2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Named music director; launches Kellyoke on the very first episode.
- 2021
Colbie Caillat
On the road as keyboardist and music director for Colbie Caillat.
- 2022
Daytime Emmy® nomination
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition — the first of three nominations for the show's music (2022, 2023, 2026).
- 2023
Las Vegas · Chemistry
An intimate residency at the Bakkt Theater, Planet Hollywood. A second Emmy® nomination for music direction.
- 2024
Fourth Daytime Emmy®
The show wins Outstanding Daytime Talk Series for the fourth straight year — Jason's fourth Emmy as a producer on the show.
- 2025
Studio Sessions · season seven
A new residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Texas Monthly, Parade and Entertainment Weekly profile the man behind Kellyoke as the show enters its seventh season.
- 2026
The finale
After seven seasons and 1,260 episodes, The Kelly Clarkson Show signs off on August 31 — “Golden” as the last Kellyoke — with a third Emmy® nomination for its music. The residency returns to the Colosseum for a second summer.
From the keys
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