Kelly Clarkson<\/strong> is reflecting on a moment she will never forget.<\/p>\n On Thursday, September 4, the singer-songwriter, 43, took to Instagram<\/a> to commemorate the anniversary of when she won American Idol<\/em> in the inaugural season back in 2002, sharing a snap from the show.<\/p>\n \u201cTo everyone that took time 23 years ago to call in and vote for me, thank you \ud83d\ude4f ,\u201d she penned in her caption. \u201cWinning American Idol<\/em> changed my life and I will be forever grateful for all of you that have supported me for so many years.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a gift to find your purpose and passion, and to be able to make a living doing it is the cherry on top,\u201d she added. \u201cThank you, always.\u201d<\/p>\n The throwback photo was the three-time Grammy Award winner\u2019s first post to her Instagram grid following the tragic passing of her ex-husband<\/a>, Brandon Blackstock.<\/p>\n As Star<\/em> previously reported<\/a>, the talent manager died on August 7 at age 48 after a three-year battle with melanoma<\/a>.<\/p>\n Clarkson and Blackstock tied the knot in 2013, but the pair \u2014 who share children<\/a> River Rose<\/strong>, 11, and Remington Alexander<\/strong>, 9 \u2014 split in 2020.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staging.starmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/icphotos263355.jpg\")