Kelly Brianne Clarkson born April 24 1984 is an American pop and rock singer-songwriter, and occasional actress. Clarkson rose to prominence after winning the first season of the reality-television series American Idol in 2002. Signed to RCA Records, she was initially marketed as a pop musician with her commercially successful debut album Thankful (2003). Clarkson took more creative control over her music and developed a more rock-oriented image for the release of her second album Breakaway (2004), which yielded the highest sales of her career and received two Grammy Awards. Clarkson has released numerous worldwide top-ten singles, and her two albums to date have received platinum certifications in several countries.