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In middle
school, a teacher heard Kelly singing in the hall and asked
her to join the choir. It turned out that 13-year-old Kelly
could reach higher and lower notes than most students. She
even had a karaoke machine in the closet in her room so she
could practice and perform at home.
When her
friends went to college after graduating from high school,
Kelly stayed in Burleson. She earned just enough to get by,
working jobs as a waitress, in a movie theater and at a pharmacy.
Kelly
made a few demo recordings and sent them to music producers
in Los Angeles. Then she decided to take a chance and move
there. But she had no luck landing a record deal. After her
car was towed and her apartment burned down, Kelly returned
to Burleson totally broke. A friend suggested the American
Idol auditions in Dallas. Kelly sang her heart out, Simon
gave her the nod, and she ended up on a plane heading back
to LA.
Kelly
stunned the judges and the audiences of American Idol
with her ability and versatility. The song, “A Moment
Like This” seemed a perfect fit for her after she'd
tried for years to become an overnight success!
Kelly Quote
“I'm
always going to live in Texas,” says Kelly.
Guess never forgetting her roots keeps this Idol grounded.
More
on Kelly
- She
never gets nervous on stage.
- One
thousand singers auditioned in Dallas and Kelly was one
of only 11 that made to the next round of American Idol
in LA.
- She
likes to say, “Cool Beans!”
- She
wanted to be a marine biologist, but the shark in the movie
“Jaws” scared her so much she changed her mind.
- She
now owns a small ranch near Fort Worth, Texas
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