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You probably already know anything we could write about Kelly Clarkson, because you probably voted for her. You followed her meteoric rise to stardom as she revealed more and more of her personal life with each successive American Idol win. The photogenic Clarkson was born in Ft. Worth, Texas but, after her parents divorced, she moved all over the state as her mother struggled to find work. She recalls this period of her life as upsetting and confusing. They settled in the town of Burleson and Kelly was encouraged to try out her voice by the high school musical theater coach. Singing was natural for the young Clarkson, and she knew she needed to pursue a career in the music industry. However, not everything came easy to the aspiring pop star. Her early, self-produced CD scored her little industry response and, like so many wannabe starlets before her, Kelly moved to Hollywood. She held down all the classic jobs; waitress, cocktail girl, telemarketer and Six Flags performer. Her friends back home encouraged her to audition for the first season of a reality show called American Idol and the rest is history. The show quickly went from a novelty to a cultural phenomenon and Kelly consistently rocked her songs, putting her own spin on classics like Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and "You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman)" and Celine Dion's "I Surrender" while displaying a charming modesty to judges and fans. She won over runner-up Justin Guarini in the show's ratings-breaking finale with 58% of the vote. Though the show has soldiered on through numerous additional seasons, Kelly still enjoys the biggest success of any winner. Kelly Clarkson's debut disc Thankful (a wink at her Idol-viewing fans) highlights the young singer's serious vocal range, mixing up smooth ballads with big showstoppers.

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