In an era when talent seems to be more rampant than ever, being the star that rises to the top is no small feat. In fact, in the entertainment world, it’s just about the biggest feat there is!
Starting in 2002, that idea reached front stage when a little reality show called “American Idol” hit the scene. Sure, there had been other similar concepts, but none of them discovered the success, following, or star talent that this competition and its three original judges brought in like moths to a flame. With its first season, call it luck or fate, they claimed one of their greatest stars to date – “Miss Independent” herself, Kelly Clarkson!
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Growing up in a Southern Baptist family in Fort Worth, Texas, most of Clarkson’s vocal experience came not from formal training but rather from school choirs and musical theater productions.
Straight out of high school, she set her sights on Los Angeles, saving up money by waitressing and working at a movie theater. When she finally made the move to California, she stumbled through with little success. She was told that she didn’t have the right body type or that her look didn’t match her vocal style.
Eventually, a fire struck her apartment in the spring of 2002 and took all her belongings with it. After attempting to stick it out by living in her car, she was forced to make the move back to Texas.
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Enter “American Idol.” A friend told Clarkson about upcoming auditions for this then-anomaly of a reality show. At its start, “American Idol” was not universally expected to be the hit it is today. One critic even called it “a sadistic musical bake-off,” expecting it to be a mere summer fling.
But with promises of an RCA recording contract and a $1 million prize, Clarkson showed up to the Dallas Anatole at the crack of dawn to shoot her shot.
She walked into that audition room and sang her own powerhouse renditions of “At Last” and “Express Yourself.” Simon Cowell later wrote in his memoir that she initially didn’t appear to be much more than a good voice.
Yet it wasn’t long before her down-to-earth disposition and depth beyond her years caused fans to connect with her. This girl-next-door charm eventually started to win the judges over as well.