Kelly Clarkson Biography

NAME: Kelly Clarkson

OCCUPATION: Singer

BIRTH DATE: April 24, 1982 (Age: 29)

EDUCATION: Burleson High School

PLACE OF BIRTH: Burleson, Texas

American pop singer Kelly Brianne Clarkson is the winner of the first season of American Idol. Since then, her recording career has only tasted success. She has to her credit 5 top-ten U S singles and 2 top-five albums. Clarkson was born on April 24, 1982 in Fort Worth, Texas to parents of Greek, German Irish, and descent. Her parents split up when she was just a child of 6 years. She went to live with her mother, while her brother went with their father, and her sister, with their aunt.

The winner of Fox TV's first American Idol: The Search for a Superstar competition during the summer of 2002, Kelly Clarkson went from an anonymous talent to a nationally known singer, performing for an audience of millions of viewers. One of the show's most naturally gifted singers, the 20-year-old Burleson, TX, native's vocal talents were discovered when she was in seventh grade, when her school's choir teacher heard her singing and urged Clarkson to join the choir. After high school, Clarkson cultivated her voice and went to Hollywood to make her name; she appeared as an extra on an episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch but no other opportunities materialized.

She had a brief stint with television and songwriter Gerry Goffin. Burning down of her Los Angeles apartment disillusioned her and she returned to Texas, but still firm on building her career in show business. Later she even went to do some odd jobs. She has worked in a pharmacy, as a cocktail waitress, as a promo girl for Red Bull, at a cinema, at Chili's, at the Fort Worth Zoo, as a door-to door sales girl, as a telemarketer etc.

In 2002, Clarkson auditioned for American Idol along with ten thousand others. Going through several rounds, she reached the final ten and received the # two spot in her group. Once entered into the list of top ten, Clarkson eventually moved into the position of competition favorite. On September 4, 2002, Clarkson won the finals against Justin Guarini, earning 58% of the audience vote.

Despite her newfound fame, Clarkson opted to remain in Texas rather than move to New York or Los Angeles. Her first single, "A Moment Like This," was released just two weeks after she won the contest and quickly earned platinum sales. Clarkson's debut full-length, Thankful, was released in spring of 2003, just in time to coincide with the second season of American Idol and right before the American Idol movie, From Justin to Kelly. Breakaway followed in late 2004 and was a huge success, selling over five million copies (making it the third best-selling album of 2005) and spawning the hit singles "Because of You," "Behind These Hazel Eyes," and "Since U Been Gone." That song and Breakaway earned Grammys for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album, respectively, at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards in early 2006. Clarkson continued her busy touring schedule that spring and summer and announced plans for her third album.

In 2007, Clarkson released My December the studio follow-up to Breakaway. Notable as Clarkson's first foray into writing or co-writing most of the songs, My December had a darker, even more rock-oriented edge than its predecessor and even featured a guest appearance by punk icon bassist Mike Watt. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide.

In 2009 Clarkson released her fourth album, All I Ever Wanted. The first single off the album, "My Life Would Suck Without You," hit the airwaves in January 2009, shooting from No. 97 on the Billboard Hot 100 to No. 1. The jump broke the record of largest leap to the top spot. This marked the second time Clarkson broke this record; in 2002 her American Idol single "A Moment Like This" catpulted from No. 52 to No. 1. The album also made it to No. 1 in the U.S., selling 255,000 copies in its first week.