Kelly Clarkson pulls off star-studded Christmas concert in 85 days

Kelly Clarkson stunned her manager and father-in-law when she told him she wanted to stage a star-studded Christmas charity concert in just 85 days.

Reba McEntire's husband Narvel Blackstock, who oversees the singer's career, thought Clarkson was talking about a bash next year (15) when she first approached him with her plans for the Miracle on Broadway event, which took place in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday night (20Dec14).

The Since U Been Gone star tells People.com, "We were working on the new album and I was driving home from the studio and stuck in that awful traffic. I was thinking about how last Christmas I was pregnant and didn't get to do a Christmas show, so I thought about doing a little show, then I thought no, a big show, and by the time I got home I was thinking a really big show at Bridgestone (Arena)."

She announced her ambitious plans to her manager the following night over dinner: "He said, 'Oh, that's a great idea for next year'. And I said, 'No, no, this year! This Christmas!'"

She asked mother-in-law Reba to sign on, adding, "I figured she would say yes because otherwise it would be very awkward at Christmas dinner."

As well as McEntire, Clarkson persuaded Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Ronnie Dunn, Kacey Musgraves, Meghan Trainor and Paramore‘s Hayley Williams to join her for the first Miracle on Broadway, which raised over $400,000 (GBP267,000) for Tennessee-area charities.

Highlights of the night included Clarkson's rendition of Silent Night with McEntire and Yearwood and her Baby It’s Cold Outside duet with Dunn.