Intimate Details About Kelly Clarkson Expose A New Side Of The 'Idol' Star
Kelly Clarkson skyrocketed to fame in 2002 after winning the first-ever season of American Idol, and her hits like "Because Of You" and "Since U Been Gone" resonated deeply with millions of fans and cemented her place in music history. Her life leading up to and after fame, however, was riddled with tragedy and drama. She truly overcame the odds.
Once Upon A Time In Texas
Kelly was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1982. Her mother Jeanne Ann taught English to first graders, and her father Stephen Michael Clarkson was an engineer. She also had two older siblings named Jason and Alyssa. Sadly, the brood would be split up before Kelly hit puberty.
The Southern Baptist Lifestyle
The Clarksons were, in Kelly’s own words, “highly conservative,” and the young girl grew up attending church twice a week. She was even the leader of her youth group! Tightly knit, they never expected the event that rocked their entire world in 1988.
A Broken Home
It was in that year, when Kelly was only six years old, that her father Stephen abandoned the family. Usually when parents divorce, they leave their spouse — not their children. This was not the case for the Clarkson family, and her father’s absence would haunt her for years, inspiring much of her music.
All Split Up
After the separation, Kelly’s brother went to stay with their father, her sister lived with an aunt, and the future star stayed with her mother. It was a traumatic time in her life, and her father made no attempt to parent her from then on out. Years later, when Kelly was in middle school, one teacher would change the course of her life.
