Kelly Clarkson has officially received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and some of the most influential people from her past were front and center for the unveiling.
Entertainment Tonight reports original American Idol judges -- Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul -- cheered Kelly on.
Cowell paid tribute to the Grammy winner and told the crowd a humorous story about meeting Kelly for the first time.
"We were just talking about the moment when you sang 'Respect,' and we all looked at each other, and it was like, 'Oh. My. God. Thank you,'" he began, adding he went up to Kelly to offer his guidance through the show. "You turned around to me and said, 'Simon, without being rude, I would rather we didn't talk until the end of the series.'"
He said that's when he knew that Kelly knew what she was doing, but the singer clarified she said that because she didn't want any special treatment.
Cowell continued, "I remember that moment when your name was called [as the winner] and I was honestly thinking to myself, 'Thanks to you, we may have another season.'" Idol has since gone on to have 17 more seasons, which he says is all thanks to Kelly.
Added Cowell, "I can honestly say to you, 'Thanks to you, I'm here today.'" He also hailed the singer for having "steel in her eyes" and for always knowing "her lane."
Kelly celebrated the 20th anniversary of her Idol win this month. Since then, she went on to sell millions of records, win a few Grammys and launch her own daytime talk show.
She thanked those who supported her on her journey and teased her "new album," noting her family is going through the songs now and telling her which ones they like.