Before The Voice came out and took away a major part of its fan base, American Idol was the show that provided aspiring singers with access to a platform which allowed them to let their amazing voice be heard by millions of viewers around the world. Kelly Clarkson became a participant on the show during its first season back in the year 2002 and ended up winning the whole thing.

Right afterward, she went on to release a single that peaked the music charts and also landed Clarkson a record deal. Fast forward to the present, and Clarkson has successfully sold more than 25 million albums around the world and has also been bestowed with three Grammys.

Clarkson has won multiple Grammy Awards over the years for her phenomenal music.

Completely Broke

However, before appearing on Idol, Clarkson’s life was completely different. According to the singer, she did not own anything before her rise to fame, stating that even the top which she wore to the audition had been made by her own self as she did not have anything appropriate to wear.

But even such circumstances did not impact Clarkson’s personality. When she had come to audition for the show, while chatting with the host Ryan Seacrest, Clarkson joked that if she failed the audition, she would go and make a career as a fashion designer, referring to her attire which she had crafted out of a pair of jeans.

Since her American Idol days back in the early 2000s, Clarkson has certainly come a long way in her career.

Always A Singer

Singing came so naturally and passionately to her that she found herself doing it regardless of her location or the time of day. She would sing in the shower, her room, as part of choir competitions, or the local college’s opera production. After gaining enough experience, Clarkson started landing paid gigs, notably working at the Six Flags amusement parks to perform at almost all of their shows which also required her to dance.

Even though her talent had gained her access to a number of music scholarships, Clarkson did not find much value coming out of a college education considering the experiences of her seniors who, in her opinion, simply wasted their time, and hence decided to forgo those opportunities. Instead, she decided to make the move to Los Angeles to work as a backup singer, aiming to work her way to the top.

Clarkson is now considered qualified enough to act in the capacity of a judge at singing competitions, which is exactly where she kicked off her career.

A Believer

Clarkson believed that hard work eventually pays off, which made her decision to not gain a college education a bit easier. According to her, her backup plan, in case things didn’t work out in LA, was to get into a college. Even if she didn’t secure another scholarship at that time, considering she was already working multiple jobs, she would’ve managed the expenses.

While compiling a demo, Clarkson obviously had to work to fund her expenses. Over time, she worked at multiple places, including Subway, Papa John’s, and even at a comedy club in the capacity of a cocktail waitress.

And then finally, American Idol announced its auditions, and even though it was a new show with no guarantee of success, Clarkson grabbed it with both hands. And, well, not only was the show an enormous success, but Clarkson also ended up winning it, launching her career which has made her a millionaire.