Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982 in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American singer-songwriter, who won the first season of American Idol, and has since gone on to have a successful recording career. Clarkson has attained six top-ten United States singles, four in the United Kingdom, five in Australia and seven in Canada. Her albums Thankful and Breakaway have made it into the top-three of the U.S. albums charts, and the top-ten of the Canadian albums chart, with the latter having sold over seven million copies worldwide. Clarkson was born in Fort Worth, Texas to Stephen Michael Clarkson and Jeanne Ann Rose. She eventually moved to Burleson, Texas after fourth grade. In middle school, she was overheard singing in a school corridor by a teacher, who invited her to join the school choir. Her participation in choral and musical activities spurred her interest in a recording career and, following her high school graduation, she relocated to Los Angeles, California. |