Like most great artists, Kelly Clarkson came from humble beginnings. Before finding success on “American Idol,” Clarkson struggled to find a path in the music industry. The singer explained to The Guardian that multiple executives had assumed, based on her voice alone, that she was Black. However, that wasn’t the only hurdle she faced in her early career. “I was living with a girl I barely knew on Croft Avenue [in Los Angeles], and the day we moved in we went out to dinner,” shared Clarkson. “We came back from dinner and the place was on fire. I lost everything except one box. I had to sleep in my car.”
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Clarkson recounted a similar tale to The Guardian in 2011. While speaking of her uncertainty surrounding “Idol” in the early stages, Clarkson shared the rough go she endured around that time. “My goal was just to be a backup singer — I never intended to be in front,” said Clarkson. “But then my apartment in LA burned down and I had to move home, I had no money and I had to sleep in my car for three days. I just auditioned for this thing that said they’d pay you, and it happened to be American Idol.
