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Kelly Clarkson music biography continued...

two prestigious Grammy Awards. With two hit albums already under her belt, she is expected to issue another in the near future.

Clarkson was born on April 24, 1982 in Fort Worth, Texas. Following her parents' divorce, at the age of six, her family moved frequently finally settling in Burleson, Texas where her mother remarried. As a teenager, Kelly aspired to be a marine biologist however her fate began to change when she was discovered singing in the hallway at school by a teacher and encouraged to join the choir. She quickly realized her love of singing and would eventually go on to perform in many high school musicals. Following graduation, she recorded a demo and moved to Los Angeles to further her chances of landing a recording contract. Though she did not succeed at signing a deal, she found work as an extra on the TV show Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Frustrated, she returned to Texas working odd jobs as a cocktail waitress, telemarketer, and Red Bull promoter.

Encouraged by her friends and family, Clarkson auditioned for the reality TV show American Idol: The Search for a Superstar in 2002. The singing competition lasted 13 weeks coming to its final conclusion on September 4, 2002 when Kelly Clarkson was announced as the official American Idol. From that point onwards her fame and popularity skyrocketed. Her debut single "A Moment Like This" was released a month later and quickly rose to number one on the Billboard 100. Her full-length album, Thankful, appeared on April 15, 2003 debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was received with great praise by both fans and critics eventually receiving a double platinum certification. The subsequent single "Miss Independent" became a Top Ten hit earning Kelly a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2004.

Her second studio album, Breakaway, displayed a rock oriented sound as Clarkson was permitted more creative control. Released in 2004, the album was a huge success lingering on the charts for a consecutive year. Featuring the hit singles "Breakaway", "Since U Been Gone", "Behind These Hazel Eyes", and "Because of You" the album has achieved sales of over ten million copies worldwide. In 2006 Breakaway won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album and the single "Since U Been Gone" achieved Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.