American Idol season one winner Kelly Clarkson is celebrating the 14th anniversary of her victorious journey on Twitter.
“14 yrs ago 2day @AmericanIdol opened a door w/such amazing opportunities & experiences 4 me!” she wrote on Sunday (Sept. 4). “I am 4ever grateful & blessed! #heresto14more.”
Kelly Clarkson Makes History as First ‘American Idol’ Contestant With 100 Billboard No. 1s
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On this day in Idol history, the then-20 year old former waitress defeated runner-up Justin Guarini at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles during the first season of American Idol: The Search for a Superstar. Clarkson sealed the deal with a reprise of “Respect” and the performance of her coronation song, “A Moment Like This.” The Sept. 4, 2002 finale launched her career in front of then-judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
14 yrs ago 2day @AmericanIdol opened a door w/such amazing opportunities & experiences 4 me! I am 4ever grateful & blessed! #heresto14more
— Kelly Clarkson (@kelly_clarkson) September 4, 2016
“It was a hard season, but it prepared me,” Clarkson told The Hollywood Reporter in 2012.
Since then, the singer has won three Grammy Awards and accumulated 100 Billboard No. 1 hits.
Kelly Clarkson Cries During Emotional ‘American Idol’ Return Performance
Clarkson returned to the show earlier this year for the American Idol series finale to perform a medley of her hits. Earlier that season, she brought the audience to tears with a moving rendition of her single, “Piece by Piece.”
More recently, the 34-year-old singer signed a long-term record deal with Atlantic Records after 15 years with RCA.