At age eight , Clarkson was first inspired to venture into music during a visit to an African-American church in Fort Worth . She recalled : " I was like , ' Wow , whatever they 're feeling , I want to feel it too ' . " Clarkson has been influenced by musicians across various genres . She cited soul singer Aretha Franklin as her major influence . Many of her chosen '' Idol '' numbers were Aretha Franklin covers , including " ( You Make Me Feel Like ) A Natural Woman " which is considered her breakout moment during the competition . Other soul acts who influenced Clarkson were Mariah Carey , Etta James , Stevie Wonder , and Whitney Houston . Clarkson was also influenced by rock acts such as Radiohead , Garbage , Aerosmith , and Jimi Hendrix , as well as Reba McEntire , Bette Midler , and Rosemary Clooney . Regarding her musical influence , Clarkson explained : I grew up with three totally different parents that were into different music . My stepfather is into Willie Nelson and Elvis and all that kind of stuff . And my real father is into Mariah and Whitney and Aretha all those soulful singers . My mom is into more , like , adult contemporary — Celine Dion , Barbra Streisand , Bette Midler , all those types of things . And then my brother is a big influence on me . He 's like 10 years older than me , so you always wan na be around your cool brother and hang out , so I grew up loving Guns N ' Roses . I was all about Metallica . I was all about all those bands , and I still am . I love Aerosmith and No Doubt . I have so many influences on me that are so different . And even country . I love Reba McEntire . I could listen to her all the time . Clarkson has scored 100 number ones on the '' Billboard '' charts and sold over 25 million albums and 45 million singles worldwide , including 14 million albums and 35 million digital singles in the United States alone . She became the first artist to top each of '' Billboard '' s pop , adult contemporary , adult pop , country and dance charts . She was ranked nineteenth on VH1 's list of 100 Greatest Women in Music . Television channel Fuse included Clarkson among " 30 Greatest Musicians to Come From Singing Competitions " list . Music executive Simon Cowell believed that " What Clarkson sold in the UK , Europe , Asia had nothing to do with '' American Idol '' . It had everything to do with the fact that she made a great record and she 's got an incredible voice . She 's not a girl who got lucky in a talent competition ; we got lucky to find her . " According to '' The Hollywood Reporter '' , Clarkson is " the embodiment of the perfect pop star . Her unmistakable pipes are a powerful presence in top 40 and country , with forays into anthemic rock and dance . " Nolan Feeney from '' Time '' magazine asserted that Clarkson " has had more of a lasting impact on the pop music landscape than casual listeners might realize . " According to '' Billboard '' , Clarkson was a " phenomenon " who " helped legitimize " the impact of talent shows . '' The Washington Post '' wrote that " Clarkson 's powerhouse voice and dynamic presence signaled that the music industry should take these reality show contestants seriously : Her first two albums , '' Thankful '' and '' Breakaway '' , sold about 10 million copies combined , and her pop tunes became empowerment anthems across the globe . " Glenn Gamboa of '' Newsday '' believed that Clarkson " has set the standard for all singing competition contestants with her savvy mix of pop , rock and country . " Fox Broadcasting Company claimed that Clarkson gave " lasting credibility " to '' American Idol '' and " in so many ways she cleared a road " for all of the next contestants . " George Varga from '' The San Diego Union-Tribune '' underlined the difference of Clarkson from most of other talent show contestants is that she " writes or co-writes a fair number of her own songs . She is also the only one whose quest to follow her artistic instincts — the better to rock out and break free from the '' Idol '' cookie-cutter pop mold — prompted her to fire her management team and engage in a prolonged public battle with her record company , RCA . " Jon Lisi from '' PopMatters '' cited Clarkson as one of the forces of female domination in pop music of the 2000s . He explained that " Clarkson 's anti-sexual image appealed to those who were uncomfortable with Britney Spears ' overt exhibitionism . When Clarkson performed " Since U Been Gone " at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards , for instance , she only showed her midriff , and it was clear that she was marketing herself to an alternative group of young females that liked pop music 's conventional sound but did n't want to be confronted with sexual imagery . " Singer Demi Lovato , who cited Clarkson as her musical inspiration , said that " Clarkson stays out of the tabloids . You hear about her through how talented her music is , not what 's going on in her personal life . " Country music singer Kelsea Ballerini cites Clarkson as her inspiration and her most favorite female artist of all time , calling her " the best vocalist in the whole world . " In 2012 , she began dating talent manager Brandon Blackstock , son of her former manager Narvel Blackstock and former stepson of Reba McEntire . Clarkson and Blackstock married on October 20 , 2013 , at Blackberry Farm in Walland , Tennessee . Since their marriage , Brandon has been her manager . Clarkson is the stepmother to Blackstock 's daughter and son from his previous marriage . Together , they have a daughter , River Rose , born June 12 , 2014 , and a son , Remington " Remy " Alexander , born April 12 , 2016 . They currently reside in Encino , Los Angeles , California , as well as Hendersonville , Tennessee
2005 MTV Video Music Awards
2005 MTV Video Music Awards
Kelly Clarkson