Kelly Clarkson: Country Radio a ‘Natural’ Fit for New Single

Kelly Clarkson has already made a name for herself on the pop charts, scoring more than a dozen Top 20 hits, not to mention her millions of albums sold. But now the first "American Idol" winner is making her debut as a solo artist on the country airwaves, with a remake of "Mr. Know It All," from her Stronger album.

"At this point in my career, it just felt natural to release a different version of 'Mr. Know It All' to country radio," she explains.

This may be the 30-year-old's first foray onto country radio as a solo artist, but she certainly is no stranger to the genre. The Texas native already has two successful country collaborations to her credit -- her 2007 duet of "Because of You," with Reba McEntire, and her award-winning duet, "Don't You Wanna Stay" with Jason Aldean, which won the pair two ACM trophies and a CMA award.

While the songstress didn't make her big, post-Idol break as a country artist, like some previous contestants including Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler, she says she might have had an entirely different career path if she had had her way on the hit TV show.

"When I was on the first season of 'American Idol,' I begged them to do a country week but they didn't do that until the second season," she explains. "I really wanted to sing Reba's 'Why Haven't I Heard from You.'"

Kelly's country connections don't stop at the radio. She is managed by Starstruck Entertainment, which is run by Reba and her husband, Narvel Blackstock (who also manages Blake Shelton). Kelly will spend much of the summer on the road, including stops in California, Arizona and New Mexico. Keep track of her tour schedule here.

<br.
</br.