When Kelly Clarkson put Kevin Bacon on the spot with a shock guitar and vocal challenge, the legendary leading man surprised everyone with what he could do on this Johnny Cash classic. Kevin went there to talk about his show, but when Kelly ambushed him with a cheeky guitar challenge in front of her show’s live audience, he was not gonna back down, despite his lack of prep. Kevin rocked an acoustic and sang “Ain’t No Grave,” and it turns out that he has a whole lot more talent in him than his acting chops!
The Hollywood star had performed the song on camera previously for his show, but playing and singing in front of Kelly and a live audience was something else. Kevin rose to the challenge by showing off a deft hand on the acoustic with a fingerpicking part. He also delivered a smoky vocal that was just perfect for the traditional tune. The Music Man has to say we need to hear more of Kevin’s musical talents sometime!
Kevin showed off his musical chops on The Kelly Clarkson Show on April 29, 2025. 580,000 viewers tuned into the subsequent YouTube upload. Viewers gave the actor some major props for his musical talents and added comments such as “That was actually extremely good” and “Johnny Cash’s version of this song is the ultimate version, but damn me, Kevin did that right.”
Kevin is not the only performer who has been bringing back “Ain’t No Grave” over the past year. American Idol frontrunner Hannah Harper showcased the song on her March 17, 2026, Hawaii round performance. Hannah took “Ain’t No Grave” to a new place with her rendition, performing some husky and soulful vocals while the band delivered plenty of power to make the performance soar. Hannah really showed off her talent as an artist here, as it was a really refreshing take on a classic.
“Ain’t No Grave” is a traditional gospel tune that was first recorded and copyrighted by Virginia songwriter Claude Ely, who penned his version in 1935. However, Debi Simons’ research shows that the song goes back even further, as she identified a version called “C’aint No Grave” in a 1933 Church of God in Christ hymnal.
“Ain’t No Grave” has been performed by a number of big names over the years. The Music Man readers may be familiar with the Johnny Cash version, which is the most well-known cover of the song. Other notables that have recorded the song include Tom Jones, Janet Paschal, Russ Taff, and actor Robert Duvall.