Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, and John Legend have their fingers on the buttons that could change the lives of hopefuls on season 29 of “The Voice.”
But before they sat down in those iconic red chairs, the superstar singers had to earn a living.
And not all of those jobs had anything to do with the talent that would later launch them into superstardom.
As Labor Day approaches, EntertainmentNOW takes a look at their first jobs. From vacuum demos to Johnny Rockets counters and consulting life, these journeys show that even superstars started with humble beginnings.
Kelly Clarkson: Vacuum Sales, Cocktails & Energy Drinks
Long before she was the first-ever “American Idol” winner, Kelly Clarkson did an array of everyday gigs.
According to Taste of Country, Kelly worked as a vacuum cleaner saleswoman, telemarketer, cocktail waitress, and even went bar to bar promoting energy drinks.
She also held jobs at a movie theater, pharmacy, Chili’s, and the Fort Worth Zoo, while saving every penny to chase her singing dreams.
Her grind paid off when she auditioned and won “American Idol,” paving the way for her singing career, talk show host gig and now as a coach on “The Voice.”
Adam Levine: Concerts, Johnny Rockets & TV Productions
Adam Levine’s first taste of the working world wasn’t nearly as glamorous as life on stage.
According to People, after an early record deal fell apart, he landed a job at Johnny Rockets.
“Technically my first job was a musician because I got signed to a record label at a young age, so I did get paid for that,” Levine revealed. “But then I got a job at Johnny Rockets when that record deal didn’t work out, and then I got a job as a [production assistant] on a TV show actually.”
While at Johnny Rockets, he quickly discovered that restaurant life wasn’t for him.
Levine has joked that his stint there was short-lived, but it gave him a crash course in hard work and humility.
Still, he moved into television production, taking a behind-the-scenes job as a production assistant on “Judging Amy.”
After trying his hand at college, Adam returned to his first love of music, eventually forming Maroon 5. And the rest, as they say, is history.
John Legend: From Consulting to Music Dreams
Before becoming one of the most awarded musicians of his generation, John Legend’s career began in the corporate world.
After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1999, he accepted a position as a management consultant at Boston Consulting Group.
While the job offered stability and prestige, Legend spent his nights writing, performing, and chasing the passion he couldn’t ignore. He has said that the lessons he learned in consulting—teamwork, problem-solving, and high expectations—helped him later in the music industry.
“I learned a lot, I met a lot of great people, I’m still friends with a lot of those folks, too. I think it just ups your level of expectation for the kind of business you want to work with. And how you work in teams, how you come to good decisions as a team, and I think all of those things helped me in my career, as a musician,” Legend told NBC.
Ultimately, his decision to leave the boardroom for the stage proved the right one, leading to Grammy wins, an EGOT distinction, and his role today as a trusted coach on “The Voice.”
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