Kelly Clarkson Names ‘American Idol’ Contestant She Thinks Could Have Beat Her
on Oct 28, 2016 • Updated Aug 14, 2019
American Idol produced many superstars over the course of its seasons. From Carrie Underwood to Scotty McCreery, there’s no denying that the show has helped discover great talent.
The first American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, is also one of the most successful, with millions of records sold and three Grammy Awards to her name. Labeled as a pop rock artist, Clarkson also sings soul and country, and his strong ties to country icons like Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood.
It was Idol that pushed Clarkson into the spotlight, but as she told former judge Harry Connick Jr. on his talk show, she knows there is one person from another season who could have beat her. So who was it?
Our first thought was that Clarkson was going to name Underwood as her biggest Idol competition, but we were surprised by her answer. Clarkson said that if she had competed against season two winner Ruben Studdard, he would have been the one who won, not her.
“I feel like there are nights when I can be effortless and those are amazing,” Clarkson said. “But he is effortless every time.”
Like Clarkson, Studdard has released work in a variety of genres, including gospel and R&B. He has also experienced success in television and stage work over the years.
We’re lucky that Clarkson and Studdard didn’t compete against one another, because now we get to enjoy both of their talented voices! Listen to her talk more about why she thinks Studdard could have taken the Idol crown from her in the video below.
