Today marks twenty years since Kelly Clarkson won the first season of ‘American Idol’, and to celebrate she shared a post full of gratitude and love for all who have helped her on her social media accounts.
The Texas-born forty-year-old posted the message to her Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts, thanking her friends, family, and the fans who have supported her over the past two decades.
“20 years ago today I won American Idol and it forever changed the course of my life,” she started.
“That moment was the door that opened up so much access and opportunity, and creative partnerships that I will be grateful for all of my days. The family and friendships I have created over these 20 years in music and tv are priceless to me.”
“We only get so many trips around the sun and while I am proud and feel abundantly blessed of the successes and failures that I have learned from, I am most proud and grateful for those friends that have become family, and for their arms that have held me when I needed it and their hearts that listened to me when I felt lost.”
“Thank you so much to every single person that voted 20 years ago,” she continued. “I hope all of you have people in your lives that fill you with laughter, and hope, and happiness, and if you don’t feel like you have that, then keep searching because I promise you they’re looking for you too.”
Kelly won American Idol in 2002, with the finale racking in a massive 22 million viewers at the time it was aired.
Since then, Kelly has released nine studio albums, selling 25 million copies of those albums and 45 million singles, as well as winning 3 Grammys and 5 Emmys.
The normally cold, harsh Simon Cowell lauded praise on Clarkson in a 2012 article with Entertainment Weekly, saying:
“What Clarkson sold in the UK, Europe, and Asia had nothing to do with ‘American Idol’. It had everything to do with the fact that she made a great record and she’s got an incredible voice.”
“She’s not a girl who got lucky in a talent competition; we got lucky to find her.”
