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Kelly Clarkson Recalls Living With a Stranger and Sleeping in Her Car Prior to ‘American Idol’

The three-time Grammy Award winner was the champion of the ever season of the singing competition series in 2002.

Ananya Panchal

Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson.

Kelly Clarkson believes that almost everyone who makes it big in the entertainment industry has some sort of “crazy” story about their life before fame, and how they ended up where they are today.

The talk show host revealed some details about her own journey to stardom on a new episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, which featured actor Kevin Bacon as a guest. 

“I actually moved out to L.A. with some random person I did not know. She just needed a roommate. I was like, ‘I’ll do it,’ and I moved from Texas to L.A. with a random stranger,” the 41-year-old singer explained.

She added that the living situation didn’t last for long because the place they were staying at caught on fire.

“We moved to a place and then it burned down... so, yeah. I slept in my car for a few days and then tried out for a show called American Idol so it all worked out,” she continued as the audience cheered. “You’ve really got to want your dream. The universe makes you really want it.”

Clarkson, who is a three-time Grammy Award winner and 17-time nominee, won the very first season of American Idol in 2002 and landed a record deal with RCA Records which completely catapulted her career. 

Her debut single, “A Moment Like This,” topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and became the country’s best-selling single that year. Clarkson’s first studio album, 2003’s Thankful, also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and was certified double-platinum.

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Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.

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