Kelly Clarkson converted me from an admirer to a crying fan with one concert

I’m not sure what to expect as I wait on the TODAY plaza for Kelly Clarkson to come out and perform, but it’s not chills. Certainly not the kind that make the hair stand up on the back of your neck, anyway.

But when Clarkson comes out and begins to sing during her TODAY Citi Concert performance, I’m surprised to discover that not only am I spontaneously covered in goosebumps, but there’s also a sizable lump in my throat usually reserved for things like fireworks and Tom Hanks' movies.

Starting with Clarkson’s groundbreaking "American Idol" win in 2002, I’ve always been an admirer. But in this white-hot moment, as Clarkson does a soundcheck for “Mine,” one of the new songs off her latest album, “Chemistry” — I realize I’ve become a fan.

It's not just because she's so good. No. It’s because Clarkson's skill and vocals exist on a level that few ever achieve, elevating her to the ranks of one-name wonders like Aretha, Mariah and Whitney.

I’m completely taken aback by the sheer power and richness of her voice which, impossibly enough, is better in person than the multitude of songs I’ve heard her perform through the years. A rarity. And I'm overcome with emotion at the scope of her talent.

While I might not be an expert, I'm a lifelong musician. Born with stars in my eyes and a singing voice good enough to earn, if not a living, a side hustle doing backups in the studio and singing in cover bands, I once aspired to climb the ladder.

In the days of dreams, I imagined myself living a life not unlike Clarkson's.

However, as life inevitably teaches, talent alone is rarely enough, and eventually I took a different path, becoming a journalist, a wife, a mom and, sometimes, a singer.

When "American Idol" first aired, I watched in bittersweet fascination.

If I hadn’t aged out of the competition, I might have joined the thousands waiting in line with hopes of beating the next-to-impossible odds.

But that ship had sailed. So, instead, I rooted for Clarkson.

In the years since her win, Clarkson's music has been a soundtrack woven throughout my life. More than once I've belted out "Since U Been Gone" in the car at full volume, and I cried listening to "Breakaway" when my daughter graduated from high school. But it's seeing her perform live for the first time that's left me speechless.

I look around at the sea of people around me to see if anyone else appears to be as enraptured as I am and am gratified to see that I'm surrounded by scores of fans who have already been indoctrinated into the Kelly Clarkson Club.

Among them? Joseph Bailey, who's come to New York after seeing Clarkson perform in Las Vegas. He and his friends are holding a sign that jokingly says, "Kelly – we made eye contact in Vegas & now I'm pregnant!"

Like me, Bailey had been an admirer at one time. But that was before he saw Clarkson live and made eye contact with the singer not once, but twice.

"On a scale of one to 10, I was like a four. Then we made eye contact and now I'm pregnant," he jokes before gushing, "I'm a 10 on the fan scale."

"Chills," says friend and fellow concert-goer Barbara Schatzman, echoing my exact thoughts.

After rehearsing "Mine," Clarkson good-naturedly apologizes to the crowd, saying early morning isn't the best time for singers. If she hadn't just changed my life, I might have agreed. But seeing as her vocals have just established a new world order, it's hard to get behind the sentiment.

From there Clarkson sings "Lighthouse" and "Favorite Kind of High," two more tracks off "Chemistry," before launching into fan-favorite "Since U Been Gone," which has fans euphorically dancing and singing along to every word. They are hers; she is theirs and the love is palpable.

Beyond the vocals, however, it's Clarkson herself and her often-poignant songs that resonate with her followers. Lynn Bellia came from Maryland to see the concert and, like others, says it's because she loves Kelly. More than that, though, Bellia explains that having recently gone through a divorce, Clarkson's songs had an impact on her.

"All of her new songs just totally touched my heart," Bellia. "Every one hits home of what she went through and I feel like it's what I went through and it's touching."

When she's not performing, Clarkson smiles, answers questions and greets fans, including 10-year-old Camila from Paterson, New Jersey. Diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of 1, Camila tells Clarkson that it's her music, particularly the song "Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)" that's helped see her through some of her most difficult days.

Captured on camera, the exchange spontaneously brings everyone to tears, including Clarkson, the TODAY co-hosts, the crowd. And for the second or third time in the span of two hours, me.

It's unexpected and yet, it feels like in a short amount of time, I've experienced far more than I expected, including a newfound love for an artist I've always liked and a tiny tinge of sadness for a life that in another time, I might have lived.

Stephanie DeRosa and her sister, Simone Warner, have traveled to see Clarkson from Connecticut and, perhaps, best sum up my feelings.

"She's amazing! Her voice!" DeRosa says.

"Incredible," enthuses Warner. "Her pipes. Oh my gosh."

Oh my gosh, indeed. And proof that sometimes talent really is enough to go all the way.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com