In a recent episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, the original American Idol detailed the days when she lived in her car.
In the spring of 2002, a brand-new show titled American Idol held open auditions. Over 10,000 people showed up and most of them went home empty handed. While Kelly Clarkson advanced to the Hollywood Round, and eventually won over America’s hearts, it seems producers did not find her memorable, as her audition wasn’t originally aired in the television broadcast. Her audition has since been released.
She memorably switched places with judge Randy Jackson, and followed through on a request from Simon Cowell, telling Ryan Seacrest he had to get rid of his highlights!
RELATED: KELLY CLARKSON TELLS RYAN SEACREST TO “REDO” HIS HIGHLIGHTS
At the beginning of her audition, Clarkson was chatting with hosts Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman, who were commenting on her unique tube top.
She revealed that she actually made the top out an old pair of jeans, and that if singing didn’t work out she might just pursue being a fashion designer.
What some fans might not know, is that prior to this audition, Clarkson had moved to Los Angeles to pursue a music career. She was an extra in a few TV shows to get by and recorded some demos, but sadly, her time in LA was cut short due to being turned down by nearly every record label in the city, and a fire that burned down her apartment.
In the December 27th episode of her Emmy-winning talk show, Clarkson opened up about that tough time in her life, admitting that she lived with a “random person” in that apartment that caught fire.
“I actually moved out to L.A. with some random person I did not know. Yeah, she just needed a roommate. I was like, ‘I’ll do it,’ and I moved from Texas to L.A. with a random stranger,” she told her guest, Kevin Bacon.
He asked her how long they lived together, and she admitted it wasn’t long because of the fire.
“It burned down, so yeah,” she told him. “Then, I slept in my car for a few days and then tried out for a show called ‘American Idol’ so it all worked out.”
Although she brushed over it, the part that caught our attention was that she was forced to sleep in her car!
She added that she feels a lot of celebrities have a “crazy story” prior to them making it big, saying, ”You’ve really got to want your dream. The universe makes you really want it.”
Watch her interview with Kevin Bacon below, where he also had a story about living with a random person before fame!