Pop star, and North Texas native Kelly Clarkson has just been named the 2024 Texas State Musician by the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA). Clarkson, who was the very first contestant to win American Idol in 2002, will join a select group of other Texas artists as representatives for the state.
Clarkson was selected out of a list of no more than ten finalists provided by the TCA. Committee members are appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the House of Representatives, according to the TCA website.
Once selected, Texas State Artists serve one-year terms and represent the state’s artistic legacy. Texas State Artists are widely recognized for their contributions to the state and the advancement of their respective art forms. They are established artists with a statewide, national, or international reputation. They reflect Texas’ diversity and high-quality artistic offerings. And Clarkson is no exception, with worldwide sales of more than 25 million albums and 40 million singles.
Since the Fort Worth-born, Burleson-raised singer-songwriter first came to fame as the winner of the inaugural season of American Idol, her fame has skyrocketed. Today, Clarkson is considered one of pop’s top singles artists, with 17 singles boasting multi-platinum, platinum, and gold certifications around the world, one EP, one greatest hits album, and two best-selling children’s books.
Clarkson was honored with the 2,733rd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is the recipient of three consecutive Daytime Emmy Awards, three GRAMMY Awards, four American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, one MTV Movie & TV Award, two Academy of Country Music Awards, two American Country Awards and one Country Music Association Award. She is also the first artist to top each of Billboard’s pop, adult contemporary, country, and dance charts.
Other artists also appointed for 2023 and 2024 include:
- Gary Clark Jr., 2023 Texas State Musician
- Ire’ne Lara Silva, 2023 Texas State Poet Laureate
- Gaspar Enriquez, 2023 Texas State Visual Artist 2D
- James Watkins, 2023 Texas State Visual Artist 3D
- Amanda Johnston, 2024 Texas State Poet Laureate
- Michael Ray Charles, 2024 Texas State Visual Artist 2D
- Diana Kersey, 2024 Texas State Visual Artist 3D
