Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born
April 24 1982) is an
American pop rock singer,
songwriter, and occasional
actress. Clarkson made her debut under
RCA Records after she won the highly-publicized
first season of the television series
American Idol in 2002. She was originally marketed as a
pop musician with her debut album
Thankful (2003). With the release of her multi-platinum second album
Breakaway (2004), Clarkson moved to a more pop rock-oriented style of music.
Clarkson's third album, entitled
My December, was released on
June 26,
2007. Her fourth album is due in fall 2008. Clarkson has sold over 19 million albums worldwide.
[[2]Cit:1, April 21, 2008]["Original 'Idol' Winner Kelly Clarkson Coaches Canadian Hopefuls", August 23, 2007.] Clarkson is the most successful
American Idol alumna, with eight of her singles becoming Top 10 hits on the
Billboard Hot 100. In 2008, she joined Vh1's list of 10 sexiest women of the new millennium at #8. She also hit #28 on Vh1's Top 30 Hottest Rock Front women.
Biography
Early life
Kelly Clarkson was born in
Fort Worth, Texas and grew up in the small town of
Burleson, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth. She is the third and youngest child of a
first grade teacher and a former
engineer. Clarkson's siblings include her brother Jason, and her sister Alyssa. When Clarkson was six years old, her parents split up after seventeen years of marriage. As a result, her brother went to live with her father, her sister went to live with an aunt, and Clarkson remained with her mother. Clarkson frequently moved around Texas while her mother managed several
professions in order to support the family. The family settled in Burleson, where Clarkson's mother married her second husband, Jimmy Taylor.
While growing up, Clarkson's family had a hard time financially and often argued about money. From this experience, Clarkson learned to be financially responsible and independent at an early age. Music became her refuge after the first divorce, but she didn't embrace it as her salvation until her teens. Clarkson attended Pauline G Hughes Middle School and
Burleson High School. She originally wanted to become a
marine biologist. In
seventh grade, a teacher (Mrs. Cynthia Glenn) overheard her singing in a hallway and asked her to audition for the school
choir. Clarkson told the teacher that she had never received professional vocal training. In high school, Clarkson performed in
musicals such as
Annie Get Your Gun,
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and
Brigadoon. It was whilst at school that Clarkson first decided to pursue singing. She sang at her high school talent show, after which a gentleman shared some inspiring words with her: "God has given you this gift. You've got to sing. You're destined to sing." Clarkson did continue to sing and soon started classical training, since her family didn't have much money and she hoped that music would offer college scholarships.
[Kelly Clarkson - Single-Minded: Cords of Steel | Artists | Reader's Digest]
Clarkson worked numerous odd jobs during and after high school, such as mowing lawns, helping her contractor stepfather build porches, and working in a movie theater starting at age 16 and until she moved to Los Angeles. She also worked for
Papa John's,
Subway,
Six Flags Over Texas,
Starbucks, and sold vacuums door to door (her latter experience which she described with a well-intended pun: "It sucked.").
Upon high school graduation, Clarkson was offered full scholarships to the
University of Texas,
University of North Texas, and
Berklee, but decided against college because she had "already written so much music and wanted to try on
[3] own. And
[4] figured you're never too old to go to college."
American Idol 2002
Clarkson won the first season competition of
American Idol on
September 4,
2002, earning 58% of the audience vote over
Justin Guarini.
[The Amazing Kelly Clarkson. Angelfire.com. Retrieved February 12 2006.] Choking back tears, Clarkson performed the
ballad "
A Moment Like This", the song written for the winner of
American Idol, which would subsequently appear on her debut
album Thankful. The song's music video was filmed at Pantages Theater in Hollywood, and incorporated short scenes of Clarkson performing on
Idol. When released as a single in October 2002, it set a then record on the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100 chart when it rose from number fifty-two to number one.
[KELLY CLARKSON BIOGRAPHY on sing365.com] This achievement was largely due to the impact from
Idol as the
CD single managed to sell 236,000 copies in its first week of sales in the U.S.;
[ Kelly Clarkson—Timeline. ARC Weekly Top 40 information. Rock on the Net. Retrieved February 12, 2006.] it spent five weeks at number one in
Canada.
Song performances on American Idol
Original audition: "
Express Yourself" (
Madonna) and "
At Last" (
Etta James)
After Idol
Shortly following the completion of the first season of
American Idol, Clarkson was accused of working with a record company.
American Idols rules stated that a contestant was not allowed to compete on the program if they had been linked to a record company. However, she was cleared of all allegations, as she had only had a contract in order to conduct demonstration work.["Kelly Clarkson's record label and songwriters deny she had a recording deal before ]American Idol
". RealityTVWorld.com. Retrieved February 25, 2006.
[
Clarkson in September 2002.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Kelly Clarkson performed at the [[Washington, D.C.|Washington D.C.]
Lincoln Memorial on
September 11,
2002]] following her win on American Idol.
Soon after winning
American Idol, Clarkson starred with Idol runner-up
Justin Guarini in the movie
From Justin to Kelly. The film was poorly received by critics
and grossed only $5 million at the North American box office, less than half its reported budget.
Clarkson has mentioned in interviews that she is shocked when people send her scripts after
From Justin to Kelly, often citing contractual obligation as her sole reason for involvement in the film.
World Idol
In December 2003, a competition titled
World Idol was held in
London,
UK, gathering the winners of the first seasons of
Idol from across the globe. Clarkson was contractually obligated to participate, and placed second behind
Norwegian Idol Kurt Nilsen. She performed Aretha Franklin's "
(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman". Because she left immediately after the competition, she was chided by some in the media for what they saw as poor sportsmanship. Clarkson later explained to fans that she was suffering from an illness.
[Kaplan, Don. The New York Post. January 3, 2004. Where was Kelly when Kurt won? Retrieved March 30, 2006.]
Post-Idol career
2003–2004: Thankful
Following the successful release of "A Moment Like This", Clarkson's full-length debut album
Thankful was released in North America by
RCA Records on
April 15,
2003.
[SonyMusicStore.com. Thankful: 04/15/03. Retrieved February 23 2006.] It debuted at number one on the U.S.
Billboard 200. Eventually, the album was certified
double platinum by the
RIAA for sales of two million copies on
December 8,
2003[Paulsen, Wade. Kelly Clarkson's Thankful certified double platinum in U.S. December 29 2003. Retrieved February 23 2006.] and platinum by the
CRIA for sales of 100,000 copies on
February 10,
2004.
[CRIA certification. [http://www.cria.ca/gold/0204_g.php Album certifications for week ending February 10, 2004]. Retrieved February 23, 2006.] Reviews for the album were generally favorable. However, several critics noted that her early achievement was established due to her performances on
American Idol.
Allmusic critic
Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the album for its vocal ability: "throughout this record,
[5] makes it seem effortless and charming. She can croon, she can belt out a song, she can be sexy and sassy while still being graceful and as wholesome as the girl next door".
[Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. All Music Guide review. ["Anybody older than 18..."] Retrieved February 23, 2006.] Rachel Kipp of
JS Online criticized Clarkson for not having the same personality on
Thankful that she had on
American Idol, and wrote: "on
American Idol, Clarkson showcased a great voice and an endearing, 'aw-shucks' personality. That personality is missing on
Thankful, and there lies the album's greatest fault". Kipp blamed the producers behind the album for not allowing Clarkson to be herself.
[Kipp, Rachel. JS Online. Associated Press. Retrieved February 23, 2005.]
"
Miss Independent" became a success when released as the second single from
Thankful. It reached the top ten of the U.S. and Canadian singles charts, and earned Clarkson a 2004
Grammy Award nomination for "
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance".
[Hollywood.com. Nominations for the 46th annual Grammy Awards. Retrieved February 24 2006.] When the single was released in the
United Kingdom and
Australia, it reached the top ten of the charts; however,
Thankful received less attention. It peaked at number forty-one on the UK albums chart and at number 33 on the Australian albums chart. Further singles released outside North America would appear even less successful.
"
Low", the third single from
Thankful, reached number two in Canada, but it was unable to make the Top 40 of the U.S. chart. The final single, "
The Trouble with Love Is", was not released in Canada, and it peaked at #101 on the U.S. Charts. Clarkson attributed the under performance of both releases to poor management and relieved her manager
Simon Fuller, who she felt was not completely focused on her career.
As of 2008,
Thankful has sold over 4 million copies worldwide.
[Thankful's 2008 Sales.Thankful's Current 2008 Sales. Retrieved [[June 02], 2008.]
2004–2006: Breakaway
multi-listen end
sample box end
Distancing herself from her
American Idol image, Clarkson took more creative control with her second studio album
Breakaway, and through considerable experimentation, developed a rock-oriented image. Her second album (2004), yielded five U.S. top ten singles and won two
Grammy Awards. The album was released by RCA Records on
November 30 2004.
[SonyMusicStore.com. Breakaway: 11/30/04. Retrieved March 3, 2006.] Unlike her previous effort, it debuted within the U.S. top five and Canadian top ten, and sales were initially low in comparison to
Thankful.
[Graham, Adam.]
[http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051229/ENT01/512290380/1033 ''Big comebacks, small triumphs'']. DetroitNews.com. Retrieved [[March 4]], [[2006]].
However, the single releases from ''Breakaway'' proved very successful, and allowed it to become only the fourth album in history to stay in the Billboard 200 Top 20 for a consecutive year, as well as, being certified 6x platinum in the U.S. in late 2007
[KellyClarkson.ca. [http://www.kellyclarkson.ca/index.php?action=news&subarea=announcements&aid=1763&mtype=active ''Breakaway'' is 5x platinum]. [[January 11]], [[2006]]. Retrieved [[March 4]] [[2006]].] and 5x platinum in Canada in May, 2006.
[''CRIA certification''. And is now 11x platinum worldwide. [http://www.cria.ca/gold/1205_g.php Album certifications for week ending [[September 29]], [[2005]]. Retrieved [[March 4]] [[2006]].] With Clarkson's wins at the [[American Music Awards]], RCA announced Breakaway was certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA.
[PRNewswire.com.[http://sev.prnewswire.com/entertainment/20061122/NYW04122112006-1.html]. [[November 22]] [[2006]]. Retrieved [[November 25]] [[2006]].] In Australia, the album reached number two and spent 52 weeks in the top 10 and was certified 6x Platinum; however, it experienced a delayed release in the UK. Clarkson co-wrote six of the songs with several [[songwriter]]s, such as former [[Evanescence]] band members [[Ben Moody]], [[David Hodges]] and producer [[Max Martin]]; the title track was co written by pop singer [[Avril Lavigne]]. ''Breakaway'' received different responses from critics; ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' commented that "on Kelly Clarkson's second album, [...] she embraces her rock side rather than the pop pageantry that put her on top of the ''American Idol'' heap".
[''[[Rolling Stone]]''. [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/6639900?rnd=1141428735187&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.1212 Kelly Clarkson—''Breakaway'']. Retrieved [[March 3]] [[2006]].] ''TeenInk'' noted the strength of her vocals on ''Breakaway'', and praised the change from pop music to contemporary rock: "[Clarkson] retains the incredible power and beauty of her voice while switching to rock".
[S., Ryan. ''TeenInk''. [http://www.teenink.com/Past/2005/September/19320.html ''Breakaway'' by Kelly Clarkson]. Retrieved [[March 3]] [[2006]].] ''[[Stylus magazine|Stylus]]'' magazine also enjoyed Clarkson's foray into rock music, however, she was called out because of her ''American Idol'' image, which reviewer Charles Merwin believed she had yet to lose. He praised the non-singles and wrote that they "maintain a quality high".
[Merwin, Charles. ''[[Stylus magazine|Stylus]]''. [[February 17]] [[2005]]. Retrieved [[April 21]] [[2006]].] ''[[Allmusic]]'' called the album "a nice, low-key relief".
[Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:rns9kemtfq7b ''All Music Guide'' review]. ["Clarkson may be a fine ballad singer..."] Retrieved [[March 4]] [[2006]].]
Clarkson appeared on numerous television programs during the promotional tour for
Breakaway, some of which included
Saturday Night Live,
The Oprah Winfrey Show and
The View; she performed the first two singles "
Breakaway" and "
Since U Been Gone" on
Saturday Night Live, which became her first major telecast appearance in order to support the album.
"
Breakaway", co-written by
Avril Lavigne, served as the original song for
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004) and achieved considerable success across the world; it became Clarkson's third top-ten single in the U.S. and fourth top-ten single in Canada. It reached number ten in Australia, and number 22 in the UK. The song's
contemporary pop-rock ambiance was one of the several tracks including a stronger
rock-influenced sound that had not been heard on
Thankful. The second single "
Since U Been Gone", which was 'produced' by Max Martin, became the most successful release from the album. Its music video presented Clarkson singing to an underground audience with a full band; cut scenes of Clarkson destroying a former boyfriend's apartment were incorporated. The song's strong rock ambiance allowed it to reach number two in the U.S. and the top five across the world. It also earned Clarkson her first Grammy Award for "
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance"; she won a second award for "
Best Pop Vocal Album".
[48th annual Grammy Award winners. Grammy.com. Retrieved March 4 2006.]
The third and fourth single releases, "
Behind These Hazel Eyes" and "
Because of You", also followed with chart success. The video for "Behind These Hazel Eyes" broke the record for days at #1 for a female artist with 33 out of 50 days #1 on TRL. "Because Of You" became Clarkson's biggest worldwide hit, her first to reach the number one position on the world chart show, where it held for two consecutive weeks in 2006. The video for "Because of You" won the 2006 MTV
Video Music Award for Best Female Video, her second consecutive win in that category (The first being from "Since U Been Gone"). The fifth single from
Breakaway, "
Walk Away", was a top 10 hit in the U.S. and a top five hit in Canada.
Breakaway spent 103 weeks on the
Billboard 200. It fell out of the Billboard 200 in late November and was moved to Billboard's Pop Catalog.
Breakaway was the tenth best selling album of 2006 in the US, adding nearly 2 million additional sales to the 2005 and 2004 sales. As a testament to Clarkson's continuing popularity, she was the most-played artist of 2006 on American radio, despite releasing only one single in the entire year, "
Walk Away".
On
December 23,
2006, American Top 40 radio show host
Ryan Seacrest announced during a countdown of 2006's most popular songs that Clarkson had had a song in the American Top 40 for 111 weeks, making her "the most successful female artist in AT40 history". She was also the most radio broadcasted artist of 2006 in Australia and "Because Of You" was the third most broadcast song of the same year, despite being released in 2005.
In the summer of 2006, Clarkson lent
Ford Motor Co. a song titled "Go", written by Clarkson and
Rhett Lawrence ("
Miss Independent"). The song is being used in the company's new advertising campaign, "Bold Moves".
As of 2008,
Breakaway has sold over 12 million copies worldwide.
[Albums - Kelly Clarkson Fans]
2007–2008: My December
While on tour in
Europe in 2006, Clarkson began writing and composing songs for her third album,
My December.
[Kelly Clarkson // Journal] During the
Addicted Tour, Clarkson debuted two of her songs: "Maybe" and "Yeah". Recording commenced on the album in the summer of 2006.
The first single from
My December was "
Never Again", which made its radio debut on
April 13,
2007. The song was released on
iTunes on
April 20,
2007, but was taken down and replaced with a notice that said that the song was not available until
April 23,
2007. The single peaked on the
Billboard Hot 100 at #8 and on the
Pop 100 at #5. Following "Never Again", Clarkson released "
Sober" as her next single from
My December on
June 6,
2007. The singles were promoted with appearances on
Saturday Night Live and
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Clarkson also returned to
American Idol on the
May 23,
2007 season 6 finale for the first time since its third season, performing "Never Again" and "
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with
Aerosmith guitarist
Joe Perry during a
Beatles medley.
[The Trades - A Dose of Reality: American Idol 6: Finale Results]
The song "Chivas" is a hidden track which can be found after the song "Irvine." Clarkson wrote the song on bar napkins before going to a concert by
Los Angeles based cover band
Metal Skool where she was famously seen drinking a bottle of
Chivas Regal in a popular
YouTube video when she was brought on stage to sing with the band.
Clarkson parted with her management, The Firm, on
June 11,
2007, after the controversy surrounding
My December.
[Kelly Clarkson's Management Breakaway] Clarkson would then sign with Starstruck Entertainment, run by Narvel Blackstock - the husband of
Reba McEntire - on
July 2,
2007.
On
June 14,
2007,
Live Nation announced that Clarkson's summer tour — her first nationwide arena tour—had been canceled due to underwhelming ticket sales, to be rescheduled after the release of the
My December album at smaller, more intimate concert environments.
[Kelly Clarkson Pulls Plug On Summer Tour as Ticket Sales Fall Flat]
Clarkson reinstated plans to tour the US during 2007 - with a much smaller tour than the one she canceled in June. Clarkson began her
My December Tour on
October 10 in
Verona,
New York in venues significantly smaller than those previously booked.
[Kelly Clarkson Unveils Fall Tour Plans]
My December was officially released in the
U.S. on
June 26,
2007. On the date of the album's release, Clarkson appeared on
Good Morning America to promote her new album. Clarkson performed songs from this new album, including the single "Never Again".
[ Good Morning America Concert ] Despite the controversy surrounding
My December, the album debuted at #2 in the
U.S. with 291,000 albums sold.
[Cyrus Sidesteps Clarkson To Debut At No. 1] This is a slightly higher debut than Clarkson's previous album,
Breakaway, which debuted at #3.
[Billboard.com - Artist Chart History - Kelly Clarkson]
On
July 7,
2007, Clarkson performed on the
American leg of
Live Earth. Her five-set performance list included: "
Walk Away", "How I Feel", "Never Again", "
Sober", and "
Since U Been Gone".
[Live Earth on MSN: The Concerts For A Climate In Crisis] In a July edition of
USA Weekend Magazine, Clarkson reported that she tried a
marijuana cookie while in
Amsterdam. "It is legal there," she said, saying that she's never done "anything illegal here
the U.S.".
[kelly clarkson, feud with clive davis, controversial new album:: Music, Celebs:: USA WEEKEND Magazine]
Music Choice deemed Clarkson as their "Artist of the Month" for the month of August.
[Music Choice Artist of the Month: August 2007] Justin Prager, Director of Rock and Pop Programming, issued a public statement: "Kelly's relatively short career has already produced so much exciting music and she has reached millions of viewers through her vast catalog of music videos available on Music Choice. We are looking forward to helping Kelly continue to connect with her fans with this huge campaign." In light of this,
Music Choice released programming detailing Clarkson's career, including a catalog of her favorite moments on screen and in production, a question and answer session with her fans, as well as Clarkson's thoughts on her career.
[0_~0_-1_7_2007_0_0&content=news Kelly Clarkson // News]
Clarkson was the celebrity coach for
Canadian Idol during its Top 5 week of the fifth season, aired on the
CTV network on August 20th, and she performed on the results show the next night.
[CTV.ca | Kelly Clarkson to appear on Top 5's 'My Own Idol' theme week] She was also awarded a Platinum Certification for shipments of more than 100,000 copies of
My December in
Canada.
Clarkson also performed at the
2007 NFL opening kickoff where she sang the national anthem and performed songs from
My December including "Never Again", "Maybe" and "Don't Waste Your Time".
We're sorry
