KELLY CLARKSON

Clarkson’s hits such as “Miss Independent,” “Since U Been Gone,” “Walk Away,” and “Never Again,” are bold empowerment anthems, which she sells to the fullest with her soulful, powerhouse voice and down-to-earth relatability.

 

Clarkson’s life has had its share of challenges. Her parents divorced when she was six and her mother struggled financially to raise Kelly and her older siblings. “My mom had to do everything on her own,” Clarkson says. “She put herself through school. It was really hard. I think watching that molded me into this person who wants to relay a message to women everywhere that they’re capable of doing whatever they set their mind to. It made an impact on me even though I didn’t know it at the time. Now I see it while I’m making these songs that I hope will inspire people.”

 

She may not have known how her early life would shape her artistry, but Clarkson did understand the emotional power of music from a young age. She was first drawn to singing at age eight after an eye-opening visit to an African-American church in Fort Worth. “I was like, ‘Wow, whatever they're feeling, I want to feel it too,’” she recalls. When Clarkson was in junior high school, a music teacher heard her singing in the hallway and encouraged her to join the choir. “When you’re a kid and you find something you’re good at, you cling to it. People would say nice things and that gave me confidence. Everybody always asks me what I would do if I weren’t singing and I have no clue, because I have no other talents,” she says with a laugh.

 

As is well known by now, Clarkson first appeared on the public’s radar in 2002 during the first season of American Idol. “When I auditioned, my apartment in Los Angeles had recently burned down and I had a box of photographs to my name,” Clarkson says. “I figured I’d get to sing and make some money to pay the bills. Nobody thought that show was going to be what it is now.” Of course Clarkson won and went on to become an international pop icon, selling over 20 million albums worldwide (including 10 million in the U.S.) and notching seven singles on the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She has released four studio albums, 2003’s double-platinum No. 1 Thankful, 2004’s 6x-platinum Breakaway (which sold over 12 million copies worldwide, spawned five Top 10 hits, and stayed on the charts for two years), 2007’s platinum-selling My December, and 2009’s All I Ever Wanted, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and produced the smash singles “My Life Would Suck Without You” and “Already Gone.” Clarkson has also received two Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, two MTV Music Awards, and 11 Billboard Music Awards.