Just weeks after she celebrated the 20th anniversary of being crowned the first American Idol, Kelly Clarkson was honored with another achievement.
Videos by American Songwriter
On Monday (Sept. 19), Clarkson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“This is where I won 20 years ago,” the “Breakaway” singer said during her acceptance speech. “I feel very lucky and fortunate because I know a lot of talented people that love singing and are amazing at it and writing songs, and even talk show hosts—a lot of people could do that, and I just feel very fortunate that I get the chance. There are dreams you didn’t know you had and they end up happening and you feel super blessed.”
Joining Clarkson for her big moment were the original American Idol judges, Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson, who set the singer on a path to superstardom back in 2002.
“I actually thought I was being punked on the first day,” the love-to-hate-him Cowell reminisced during the ceremony. “Every singer was out of tune and it got worse, progressively,” he said of the day Clarkson auditioned for the show. “And thank God, I remember the day we met you and I remember not just your voice, but your personality.
“Thanks to you, I’m here today,” he continued. “You validated what we did. If we didn’t find a star, there’s no point in doing these shows.”
Clarkson posted on her Instagram a message of thanks and honor, concluding it with “by the way, my star is between Harry Potter and Deadpool ….I dare anyone to top that!”
Aside from a star, a lot is happening for Clarkson. She is recently kicked off the fourth season of The Kelly Clarkson Show, which means Kellyoke is back, and she is also set to release her tenth album in 2023,
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
