While winning several Grammy awards, helming her own talk show, and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Kelly Clarkson never forgot the moment that changed her life forever. Back in 2002, Clarkson took her first steps to stardom when she auditioned for American Idol. Although a popular show now, at the time – not much was known about the singing competition. Still, Clarkson showcased her wide range of talent, and she ultimately walked away as the first American Idol. And now, 23 years later, the hitmaker took a moment to thank fans for helping make her dreams become a reality.
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On Thursday, Clarkson posted a throwback picture of her winning American Idol. Surrounded by her fellow contestants, she captioned the post, “To everyone that took time 23 years ago to call in and vote for me, thank you. Winning American Idol changed my life and I will be forever grateful for all of you that have supported me for so many years.”
Gaining over 182,000 likes, Clarkson admitted, “It is a gift to find your purpose and passion, and to be able to make a living doing it is the cherry on top. Thank you, always.”
Kelly Clarkson Went From Trying To Pay Her Bills To ‘American Idol’ Stardom
Able to look back at that moment and see how the show launched her ongoing career in music and on television, Clarkson, like many at the time, was completely oblivious to what American Idol was trying to achieve. Reflecting on that time in her life, she said, “For all of us in that first season, we literally didn’t … I didn’t even know it was a TV show until my third audition. Like, we were literally trying to pay our bills. We’re like, ‘Oh, this might work. I might meet someone or whatever.’ Nobody knew it was gonna amount to anything.”
Accumulating a net worth of around $50 million, Clarkson still remembered the struggles she faced when appearing on American Idol. “We were literally, like, kids – you know, 19 years old just trying to pay my electric bill y’all. You know, and afford the deductible on my car that was bashed in that I couldn’t afford. So it was a different thing.”
More than two decades later, Clarkson’s journey from a young hopeful chasing her electric bill to a global superstar stands as a reminder of how one chance moment can change everything.
(photo by Kevin Winter/ImageDirect)
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