Kelly Clarkson: 'Why coming from a broken home made me stronger'
http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/...#ixzz1khSPheZc
She is the big-voiced Texan gal who defied critics by turning her 2002 victory on the first ever American Idol TV show into a long-term career.
And now, with 20 million-plus sales to her name, as well as two Grammy Awards, Kelly Clarkson underlines her status as a fighter and survivor with her fifth album Stronger.
But the star from Fort Worth is the first to admit she still feels the effect of an often impoverished upbringing in which her mother divorced twice.
“We had fun,” says Kelly, 29, “but there was struggle too. Now I don’t have to worry about having clean clothes or paying the bills too late, but that level of stress definitely has an effect.”
She saw her parents Jeanne and Stephen split when she was five. The same thing happened at 19, when her mum separated from her second husband, Jimmy. It might be why she’s content to remain a single girl.
“Divorce isn’t fun,” says Kelly. “It affects relationships you get into when you are older. I think you have to work a little harder because you’re constantly thinking it’s probably not going to work out in the end. Also, I travel a lot and work a lot. The way I live it’s hard for me to even find someone.”
Lack of a male partner has even fuelled speculation that she is a lesbian.
“I don’t think it’s harmful at all,” she laughs, “but I just don’t know why people think I am. I never kiss women. I find it funny. Also I’m such a vocal person, I’ve never hidden much. So I don’t understand why they don’t take me on my word. I find that a little bit annoying. But if people think I’m gay, I don’t really care.
“I’m a kinda selfish person who right now enjoys being single, enjoys the fact that I can work as much as I do, and not really have to answer to anyone.
Kelly also appears unaffected by stardom. Home is a Texan ranch where she keeps over 80 animals in a rescue shelter, along with her nine firearms. “I grew up around my guns,” she admits. “My whole family and all my friends had guns and we’d go to shooting ranges. I live alone so my guns are a safety precaution. If the alarm goes off I feel I have a fighting chance.”
She maintains the same circle of friends she had growing up.
“They’ve always been big believers that I was going to be able to sing for a living,” Kelly explains. “They always thought it was going to happen for me and have been super supportive, so when I was successful it didn’t really faze them.”
Since her Idol win, Kelly has worked hard to establish herself on her own terms, fighting and winning notable battles with her record company and taking collaborator Ryan Tedder to task on the song Wash, Rinse, Repeat, after he used a song they’d worked on in a collaboration with Beyoncé.
“He’s supertalented, but our working situation was unfortunate,” she says. “I didn’t like him giving the same track we had recorded to somebody else. I wish him well, but we don’t work together any more.”
Clarkson enjoys being able to afford to fly friends and family around the world, but avoids the party lifestyle when she is on tour.
“I don’t understand how people do that on the road,” she says. “I’m definitely a workaholic. If you finally get to do the job you love, you work your butt off.”
So does she ever see herself settling down in the future?
“I’m surrounded by friends who are married and have children and maybe some day that will be me,” Kelly shrugs. “But I’m not wanting to do anything like that right now.
“I’m the greatest aunt and have a lot of fun with kids. But at the end of the day I really enjoy being able to give them back to their parents too.”
● New single Stronger is out on February 5.
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