
Before Kelly Clarkson was the Kelly Clarkson, she'd lived a life not accustomed to that of a superstar.
Poverty, homelessness and a wobbly childhood were all issues the singer faced during her early life.
But along came American Idol, then the rest - as they say - is history.
Watch a snippet of Kelly Clarkson's American Idol audition. Post continues after video.
But despite the incredible rise to fame and decades in the spotlight, she has made it clear she no longer wants to be known as 'Kelly Clarkson' but 'Kelly Brianne' (using her middle name).
"My new name more fully reflects who I am," she said in a statement to court.
Here's everything we know about Kelly, from childhood to her global rise to stardom and everything in between.
Kelly's childhood.
Born in 1982, in Fort Worth, Texas, Kelly's long and treacherous path to fame was quite the bumpy road.
While her mother was a first grade teacher and an "incredibly present force" in her life, her father divorced her mother and walked out on his family when she was just six-years-old (their broken relationship inspired the song 'Because Of You').
When her mum went on to remarry, the singer gained five stepbrothers and stepsisters. On her father's side, she also got another two brothers, but still failed to reconnect with her father after multiple "humiliating" attempts during her teen years.
Kelly Clarkson as a child. Image: Pinterest.
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