Inspiring life changes
Inspiring life changes - Inspiring life changes of the following celebrities have all transformed their lives in dramatic ways, some rising from poverty to stardom, others overcoming life challenges to achieve success. See if you can guess the identity of these stars.
The transformation: When her marriage ended, this California mother of three was forced to go on welfare to cover her mortgage and to pay for child care, which allowed her to keep working. She later used that experience to win election to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she has served her constituents for 20 years.
The transformation: At 48, this plain and unremarkable woman from Scotland became an international singing sensation after she appeared on the television program, “Britain’s Got Talent.” Though she placed second in the televised competition, the audience loved her. Her debut album was the most pre-ordered album of all time at Amazon.com.
The transformation: The youngest of nine siblings from Boston’s rough-and-tumble Dorchester neighborhood, this now-famous film star was a drug addict at 13, charged with attempted murder at 16 and sent to prison for assault. After he was released, the high school dropout turned his life around to become a successful rapper/musician with the help of his older brother.
The transformation: Elected to Congress in 1992, this former state legislator lost her first re-election bid in 1994 and took a job at Seattle-based RealNetworks, where she earned millions in stock options. Staging a political comeback in 2000, she won a narrow victory for a U.S. Senate seat in a recount, but the dot-com bust wiped out much of her fortune.
The transformation: This entrepreneur decided to strike out on his own in 1994. He drove from New York to Seattle, wrote the business plan for a new kind of Internet venture and founded a now hugely successful online company in his garage. His business made him a multi-billionaire and landed him on the cover of Time magazine as person of the year in 1999.
The transformation: Unable to find work as a teacher after college , this author started his professional writing career while working in an industrial laundry and supplementing his income with occasional short-story sales to magazines. He became one of the most successful novelists in U.S. history but was nearly killed when he was struck by a car while walking along a road near his home in Maine.
The transformation: Born into poverty and sexually molested as a young girl, this media icon was an unwed mother at 14 Determined to rise above her circumstances, she became a broadcast journalist and went on to become an entertainment phenomenon, multi-billionaire and world-class philanthropist whose face and name are known worldwide.
The transformation: When he was in high school (where?), this actor and comedian lived with his family in a VW camper van and worked as a janitor at a nearby tire factory to help his parents make ends meet. He dropped out of school to pursue his passion for comedy and, soon after, moved to Los Angeles, eventually becoming one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood.
The transformation: This influential rapper started out as a poor kid in a rough neighborhood (where?). Arrested several times for drug possession after high school, he did time in prison before getting involved in music and turning his life around. His first album hit No. 1 on Billboard’s hip-hop and Top 200 charts, and he continued to score with each new release.
The transformation: This genre-bending singer-songwriter grew up in a wilderness home (where?) without indoor plumbing. Determined to earn her living only with her music, she lived in her van and performed at taverns and street fairs, and was discovered in a San Diego coffee shop. She signed a contract with Atlantic Records and released her multi-platinum debut album when she was 21.
The transformation: This Canadian pop star, the son of a young single mother, grew up in a rodent-infested home with a near-empty fridge. At age 12, he placed second in a local talent contest, and his mother posted a video of the event on YouTube, causing a sensation. Signed to a record deal when he was 13, the young artist was soon releasing one chart-topping hit after another.
The transformation: This singer grew up in one of the poorest neighborhoods on Long Island. She moved to Manhattan to attend beauty school, shared a one-bedroom apartment with four roommates and held multiple part-time jobs to make ends meet. After handing her demo tape to a music executive at a party, she began a career distinguished by five Grammy Awards and 18 No. 1 singles, more than any other solo artist.
The transformation: This actor grew up poor in a rough section of Tinseltown. After a rocky start in show business—he was kicked off the set of “Romper Room” at age 5 for disruptive behavior—he started doing commercials and landed a role on a popular TV sitcom before breaking into movies. He is considered one of the best actors of his generation.
The transformation: One of 12 children, she grew up “dirt poor” in a one-room cabin on a run-down tobacco farm in Locust Ridge, Tenn. She moved to this country music mecca and made a name for herself as a songwriter. Today, she has several Grammy Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame and a National Medal of Arts
The transformation: This Canadian-born country music star started performing at age 8, singing for tips in bars, and then toured with a couple of bands before moving to Nashville. Her fledgling music career was interrupted when her parents were killed in an auto accident, and she returned to Canada to care for her younger siblings. She came back to record the best-selling country music album of all time.
The transformation: This singer, songwriter and record producer was born in a government housing project (where?) and dropped out of high school during her junior year. She struggled for years to break free of drugs, alcohol and abusive relationships. Today, she is a best-selling recording artist, nine-time Grammy Award winner and the only person ever to receive Grammys in the Pop, Rap, Gospel and R&B categories.
The transformation: This actress and singer was born in a federal prison while her mother was serving a 10-year stretch for her part in an international drug ring that smuggled tons of marijuana into the United States. Her guest appearance in a “Law & Order” episode when she was 13 led to larger parts and, eventually, a starring role in a popular TV series (which show?).
The transformation: This gridiron superstar was passed over during the NFL draft and ended up stocking shelves at a Hy-Vee grocery store in Cedar Falls, Iowa, for $5.50 an hour. He played Arena Football for three years and finally got a contract with the St. Louis Rams. During his 12 years as an NFL quarterback, he won multiple MVP honors, set numerous passing records and became a Super Bowl champion.
The transformation: This professional athlete, the first overall selection in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft, started using drugs and alcohol after being injured in an automobile accident in 2001. He was out of baseball from 2003 to 2006 while he struggled to overcome his addictions and then resumed his career in 2007, going on to win honors as the American League batting and RBI champion (2008), batting champion (2010) and most valuable player (2010).
The transformation: A divorced mother with a young daughter, jobless and living on Social Security benefits, this British author was on a train when she thought of an idea for novel that would become one of the most successful series of books and films in history. Forbes magazine has said she is the only person ever to become a billionaire by writing books.
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