Kelly Clarkson - Before American Idol Growing up in Texas, Kelly originally aspired to be a marine biologist, but when she was encouraged by the choir teacher at her junior high to join the school choir, her dreams changed. She started starring in school plays and continued on with her involvement in choir. Finally when she graduated high school, Kelly started working on demo and got serious about pursing her musical career. Kelly Clarkson - A Music Superstar For the first few years after high school, Kelly didn't have much luck breaking into the biz. Just when Kelly Clarkson was ready to give up, her best friend, Jessica, convinced her to try out for American Idol. Suddenly Kelly was really on her way to becoming a music superstar. She quickly shot to number one and claimed the first ever American Idol title in 2002. Kelly Clarkson - Life After American Idol Kelly Clarkson really hasn't slowed down since taking home the American Idol crown. Soon after she won, her debut album, Thankful, was released. It featured songs like Miss Independent and Beautiful Disaster. Some thought that Kelly's time in the spotlight might be over after her first disc, but she came back in late 2004 with her second disc, Breakaway. Breakaway turned out to be even better than Thankful, featuring hit singles like Breakaway and Since U Been Gone. This latest CD proves that Kelly isn't just a reality TV celebrity, she's a talented singer who still has a lot more to offer. Kelly Clarkson - Did U Know? Kelly Clarkson moved to LA before auditioning for American Idol to try and get discovered but her apartment building burned down and she was forced to move back home. Christina Aguilera co-wrote her hit single, Miss Independent. Kelly Clarkson's fave song is Against All Odds by Phil Collins. The track Breakaway, that is featured on the Princess Diaries 2 soundtrack, was co-written by Avril Lavigne. Kelly's natural hair color is blonde. Kelly Clarkson and fellow American Idol contestant Justin Guarini starred in their own movie in 2003 called From Justin to Kelly. Kelly Clarkson Says... "I don't let anything get to me or people pressure me. If you're going to pressure me to do something, I'm going to do the opposite. So if you tell me to get skinny, I'm probably going to get fat just to piss you off."