Clarkson, Kelly

Kelly Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American pop–rock singer-songwriter, and occasional actress. Clarkson rose to prominence when she appeared on the reality television series American Idol in 2002, and after winning the competition, was signed to RCA Records. more...

She was originally marketed as a pop musician with her debut album Thankful (2003), which was preceded by her first U.S. number-one single. As a result of her contract with American Idol, Clarkson made a foray into film with the release of From Justin to Kelly (2003), however, it was not well-received by critics and fans.

Distancing herself from her American Idol image, Clarkson took more creative control, and through considerable experimentation, developed a rock-oriented image for the release of her second album Breakaway (2004), which yielded four U.S. top-ten singles and won two Grammy Awards. While on tour in Europe in 2006, Clarkson began writing and composing songs for her third album which she will release within the next year.

Biography and music career

Early life

Clarkson was born in Fort Worth, Texas on April 24, 1982. She is the third and youngest child of Jeanne Ann Taylor, a first grade English teacher of Greek descent, and Stephen Michael Clarkson, a former engineer of Welsh extraction. Clarkson's siblings include her brother Jason, and her sister Alyssa. When Clarkson was six years old, her parents separated after seventeen years of marriage; her brother went to live with her father, her sister went to live with an aunt, and Clarkson remained with her mother. Following the separation, Clarkson frequently moved around Texas while her mother managed several professions in order to support the family. Clarkson has since stated that, being six years old at the time, she did not understand why her family had been constantly moving. Eventually, the family settled in Burleson, Texas where Clarkson's mother married her second husband, Jimmy Taylor.

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