Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson turned down two record deals before auditioning for American Idol, confident she could do better. While her decision paid off, it came with risk—at one point, she was living out of her car. “I did anything that paid. I made any job work,” she said.

Reflecting on those tough times, Kelly added, “If you’re hungry enough and want electricity, you’ll work anywhere, and so I did.” Her perseverance eventually led her to stardom.

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