  Kelly Clarkson, born April 24,
1982 in Texas, will always be remembered as
the first winner of the successful FOX TV
show American
Idol. While in high school, Kelly
had ambitions to be a marine biologist but
turned to music after being persuaded to use
her singing talents in the school choir and
musicals. After high school, Kelly spent time
in California pursuing an entertainment
career and had some slight success as an
extra on Sabrina, The Teenage Witch
and That '70's Show and in the film Issues
101. Without much success in California,
Kelly returned to Texas and found herself
being persuaded to audition for American
Idol.
 # 52
Singles Artist of the Year
With 2 remaining
finalists, Kelly and Justin Guarini, America voted Kelly
as the first US American
Idol with 58% of the votes.
Kelly hit the
Top 40 with "A Moment Like This."
The American
Finalists along with Kelly performed live in
Las Vegas for a special concert airing on
Fox.
Kelly topped
the Canadian singles chart with "A Moment Like This."
 Kelly topped
the Billboard Hot 100 with "A Moment Like This" for 2 weeks and
the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart for 5 weeks
and went into the record books with the
biggest jump to #1 in Billboard's history
(from # 52). The single (with the B-side
"Before Your Love") sold over
236,000 copies in its first week of release.
American
Idol Greatest Moments was released and
included tracks from all Top 10 finalists
including 4 tracks by Kelly.
Kelly hit the Top 10 with "A Moment Like This."
Kelly's single
"Before Your Love / A Moment Like This" was certified
gold.
Kelly topped the Billboard
Year-End Charts with the Top Hot 100
Single Sales ("A Moment Like This").
 # 8
Singles Artist of the Year
 Kelly was
nominated for a American Music
Award for Favorite Pop/Rock New
Artist.
Kelly's debut LP, Thankful, was released. She
said of the LP: "There's soul. I have
some rock on there. I have some big bluesy
numbers and I have 2 ballads I think, and
some faster, hip-hoppy stuff." Entertainment
Weekly said of Kelly's debut LP:
"Her range is awesome. She owns pop,
R&B, country and gospel. America was
right to idol-ize her." The first
single, "Miss Independent," was co-written
by Christina
Aguilera.
Kelly hit the
Top 40 with "Miss Independent."
 Kelly topped the Billboard 200
Albums chart for a week with Thankful - selling almost
300,000 copies in the US its first week of
release.
Thankful was certified
platinum.
Kelly hit the Top 10 with "Miss Independent."
 Kelly hit #1 for 5 weeks with
"Miss Independent."
Kelly topped the Billboard Top
40 Tracks chart for 6 weeks and Mainstream
Top 40 chart for 6 weeks with "Miss Independent."
Kelly and Justin Guarini's movie - From
Justin To Kelly - hit theaters and
only grossed 2.9 million dollars its first
week of release (coming in at #11 for the
weekend of its release).
 Kelly won a
Teen Choice Award for Choice Music Female
Artist.
Kelly's video for "Miss Independent" was nominated
for 3 MTV Video Music
Awards for Best New Artist, Best Pop Video, and Viewer's Choice.
Kelly hit the Top 40 with "Low."
Kelly appeared
on the NBC TV show American Dreams.
Kelly hit the Top 10 with "Low."
Kelly released the DVD Miss
Independent.
 Kelly hit the
Top 40 with "The Trouble With Love
Is."
Thankful was certified 2x
platinum.
 # 14
Singles Artist of the Year
 Kelly
participated in the first 'World Idol'
competition against 10 other 'Idol' winners
from countries around the world and came in
second. The winner of 'World Idol' was
Norway's Kurt Nilsen.
Kelly hit the Top 10 with "The Trouble With Love
Is."
Kelly was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance -
Female
("Miss Independent").
Kelly and Clay Aiken co-headlined a tour
together.
 Kelly hit the Top 40 with "Breakaway" from the
soundtrack for The
Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.
Kelly hit the Top 10 with "Breakaway."
 Kelly hit the Top 40 with "Since U Been Gone." The song
eventually set a record for the most weeks on
the chart since the chart was conceived in
1980.
Kelly released her next LP, Breakaway. Billboard
called the LP a "...rare exhibition of
substance over style. Throughout, Clarkson
exhibits the ability to dominate. Clarkson
proves that she's the real thing, packed with
enough potency to ensure radio that she's
here to stay."
 Kelly hit the Top 10 with "Since U Been Gone."
Kelly topped the Billboard Hot
Digital Tracks chart with "Since U Been Gone."
# 155 on the Top Pop Artists
of the Past 25 Years chart.
 # 1
Singles Artist of the Year (# 1
Female Artist of the Year)
Kelly performed on Saturday
Night Live.
Kelly hit #1 for 8 weeks with
"Since U Been Gone."
Breakaway was certified platinum
and the singles "Breakaway" and "Since U Been Gone" were certified
gold.
 Kelly topped the Billboard Adult
Contemporary chart for 21 weeks with "Breakaway."
Kelly hit the Top 40 with "Behind These Hazel Eyes."
Breakaway was certified 2x
platinum.
The single "Miss Independent" was certified
gold.
 Kelly topped the Billboard Pop
100 chart for 6 weeks, Top 40 Mainstream
chart, Pop 100 Airplay chart, and Hot Dance
Radio Airplay chart with "Since U Been Gone."
Kelly hit the Top 10 with "Behind These Hazel Eyes."
Kelly's single "Since U Been Gone" fell off the Top
40 after 33 weeks making it the longest
charting single in the ARC Weekly Top 40 history.
Breakaway was certified 3x
platinum and the single "Behind These Hazel Eyes" was certified
gold.
 Kelly won 4 Teen Choice Awards
for Choice Album (Breakaway),
Choice Single ("Since U Been Gone"),
Choice Summer Song ("Behind These Hazel Eyes"), and
Choice Female Artist.
Kelly hit the Top 40 with "Because Of You."
Kelly topped the Billboard Adult
Top 40 chart with "Behind These Hazel Eyes."
The video for "Since U Been Gone" won 2 MTV Video Music
Awards for Best Female Video and Best Pop Video, and was nominated for
Viewer's Choice. Kelly performed at
the ceremony.
 Kelly performed on ReAct
Now: Music & Relief - a benefit
program shown on music video channels to
raise money for those affected by Hurricane
Katrina.
Kelly had to cancel a few
concert dates due to bronchitis.
Kelly hit the Top 10 with "Because Of You."
Kelly hit #1 for 5 weeks with
"Because Of You."
Kelly topped the Billboard Pop
100 Airplay chart and Top 40 Mainstream chart
with "Because Of You."
Kelly won 2 American Music
Awards for Artist of
the Year and Favorite Adult
Contemporary Artist, and was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Album (Breakaway).
Breakaway was certified 4x
platinum.
 Kelly hit the Top 40 with "Walk Away."
Kelly had the #3 selling LP of
2005 with Breakaway selling over 3.4
million copies during the year.
Kelly topped the Billboard
Year-End Charts as the Top Pop Artist
- Female (singles & albums), Top Hot 100
Singles Artist - Female, Top Pop 100 Artist,
Top Hot Dance Airplay Artist, Top Hot Adult
Contemporary Artist, and Top Hot Adult Top 40
Artist, and with the Top Pop 100 Song and Top
Pop 100 Airplay Track ("Since U Been Gone"), and Top
Soundtrack Single and Top Hot Adult
Contemporary Track ("Breakaway").
 # 11
Singles Artist of the Year
Breakaway was certified 5x
platinum, the single "Since U Been Gone" was certified
platinum, and the single "Because Of You" was certified
gold.
Kelly won a
People's Choice Award for Favorite Female
Performer.
 Kelly hit the Top 10 with "Walk Away."
Kelly won 2 Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal Performance -
Female
("Since U Been Gone") and Best Pop Vocal Album (Breakaway). Kelly performed at
the ceremony.
Kelly won a
Kid's Choice Award for Favorite Female
Performer.
The single
"Walk Away" was certified
gold.
Kelly hit the Top 40 with "Gone."
The video for "Because Of You" won a MTV Video Music
Award for Best Female Video and was nominated for Viewer's Choice.
 Kelly won 2 American Music
Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Favorite Adult Contemporary
Artist.
 # 60
Singles Artist of the Year
 Kelly hit the Top 40 with "Never Again."
Breakaway was certified 6x
platinum.
Kelly cancelled her summer
touring pans due to poor ticket sales.
Kelly released My
December.
Kelly topped the Billboard Top
Digital Albums chart with My
December.
 On July 7th, Kely performed at
the Live
Earth
concert in the US. The 7-continent concert
organized by Al Gore brought together over
100 artists to perform and raise the world's
awareness about the climate crisis and how to
make a difference to help the environment and
the world.
The single "Never Again" was certified
gold.
Kelly could be heard on the Reba McEntire LP Reba
Duets with a duet version of "Because Of You."
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