• Faith: Christian
• Career: Musician
• Birthday:  April 24, 1984

Kelly Clarkson is a songwriter, singer, author, and television personality. She rose to prominence after winning the first season of “American Idol” in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA Records. Her debut single, “A Moment Like This,” topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and became the country’s best-selling single of 2002. It was included on her debut album “Thankful,” which entered the Billboard 200 at number one and also yielded the top-10 single “Miss Independent.” In an effort to reinvent her image, Clarkson parted ways with “American Idol” management and shifted to pop rock for her second studio album “Breakaway.”

Supported by four US top-ten singles, the title track “Since U Been Gone,” “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” and “Because of You,” “Breakaway” sold over 12 million copies worldwide and won two Grammys. She took further creative control for her third studio album, “My December,” co-writing all of its tracks and becoming its executive producer. However, her label was dissatisfied with the album’s darker rock music and promoted it reluctantly. Her fourth and fifth studio albums, “All I Ever Wanted” and “Stronger,” returned to a lighter tone and pop-rock sound, with the former becoming her second US number-one album and the latter making her the first artist to win the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album twice.

Both albums spawned a Hot 100 number one single: “My Life Would Suck Without You,” which holds the record for the most significant jump to number one in the chart’s history, and “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” which became her best-selling single worldwide. Then, Clarkson had the best-selling Christmas album of the year, with “Wrapped in Red.” Its single, “Underneath the Tree,” was named the ASCAP’s most popular Christmas song released in the 21st century. Clarkson also served as a coach on “The Voice” for seven seasons and again for the 23rd season. Since 2019, she’s hosted her talk show, “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”

Among her numerous accolades, she’s received three MTV Video Music Awards, three Grammys, four AMA Awards, seven Daytime Emmy Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She’s sold over 25 million albums and 45 million singles worldwide. She has 11 top-ten singles in the US and nine top-ten singles in the UK, Australia and Canada. She became the first artist in history to top each of Billboard’s pop, adult pop, contemporary, country, and dance charts. She’s been hailed as “one of pop music’s greatest singers,” and VH1 ranked her 19th on their list of the 100 Greatest Women in Music.

What religion is Kelly Clarkson?

Clarkson was raised Southern Baptist. She said, “I always grew up in church. I was the leader of our youth group. I’ve always grown up close to church and with God. But I think I’ve just gotten a lot closer just because He’s the only one I can lean on.” She later said of her childhood, “My family was highly conservative. I had to go to church on Sunday and Wednesday.”