Kelly Clarkson celebrates 23 years since her American Idol win with a heartfelt tribute

Kelly Clarkson is celebrating a special milestone! On Thursday, Sept. 4, the 43-year-old singer marked the 23rd anniversary of her American Idol win with a sentimental Instagram post.

The “Breakaway” hitmaker made history as the competition show’s very first winner in 2002, launching a career that would include chart-topping hits, Grammy Awards, and her own Emmy-winning talk show. In her post, Clarkson penned a touching message to the fans who made it all possible.“To everyone that took time 23 years ago to call in and vote for me, thank you

,” she began. “Winning American Idol changed my life and I will be forever grateful for all of you that have supported me for so many years.”

She added, “It is a gift to find your purpose and passion, and to be able to make a living doing it is the cherry on top. Thank you, always.”The official American Idol Instagram account quickly celebrated Clarkson’s tribute by reposting it to their Stories. “THIS is what it’s all about, ©kellyclarkson. You were an icon from the start. We will always love you,” read the message over her post.Throughout the years, Clarkson has often reflected on the life-changing moment.

For the show’s 20th anniversary in 2022, she shared in another Instagram post that her victory “forever changed the course of my life.” More recently, in March 2024, Clarkson opened up on Kylie Kelce’s Not Gonna Lie podcast, revealing that she didn’t even realize American Idol was a television series at first.“For all of us in that first season, we literally didn’t … I didn’t even know it was a TV show until my third audition,” she admitted.

“Like, we were literally trying to pay our bills. We’re like, ‘Oh, this might work. I might meet someone or whatever.’ Nobody knew it was gonna amount to anything.”She recalled, “We were literally, like, kids — you know, 19 years old just trying to pay my electric bill, y’all. You know, and afford the deductible on my car that was bashed in that I couldn’t afford. So it was a different thing.” From an uncertain start to becoming one of music’s most enduring voices, Clarkson’s journey from Idol hopeful to global superstar continues to inspire fans 23 years later.