Kelly Clarkson

Fox's "American Idol" proved it could make regular folks into stars quicker than you could say "'Star Search' was, like, so 1987." In the show's first season, personable Kelly Clarkson won a million-dollar recording contract from RCA. Her rendition of the specially-crafted American Idol ballad, "A Moment Like This," topped the Billboard singles chart after just one week. Her 2003 debut, "Thankful," had critics dubbing Clarkson "Christina Aguilera: the sequel," thanks to the album's successful first single, "Miss Independent," which Aguilera co-wrote.
Clarkson's latest disc, "Breakaway" (2004), went to No. 3 on the Billboard Album Charts on the strength of the singles "Since U Been Gone" and "Behind These Hazel Eyes."