Before Tori Kelly became a three-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter with a voice that can move stadiums, she was a 12-year-old girl walking into a record label office, wondering if anyone in the music industry would ever truly understand her. She had already been told no by Star Search, lost to David Archuleta, and learned early that being able to sing wasn't always enough. Then Polly Anthony, the first woman to run a major record label, signed her to Geffen Records and gave her something no one else had: the feeling that she didn't need to change a single thing. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the artist behind hits like Nobody Love and the voice of Mina the Elephant sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the woman who believed in her when she was just a shy girl who wanted to be heard. Tori opens up about meeting Polly at 12 years old, a warm and maternal executive who made her entire family feel welcome and never once suggested she needed to be more outgoing, more bubbly, or more like the Disney kids everyone kept comparing her to. She talks about losing on Star Search at 10, getting cut from American Idol before the top 24 after Simon Cowell called her voice almost annoying, and what it felt like when Polly left Geffen and a new executive stepped in who didn't share the same vision. She shares what it was like to ask her parents to leave the label at 13 because something just didn't feel right, spending years being told by other labels that they didn't know how to package her, and the gut feeling that told her to walk away even when everyone said a record deal was the only way to make it. There's also a raw reflection on reinvention, rejection, and what it means to build a career on your own terms. Tori talks about teaching herself guitar after American Idol, posting covers on YouTube from her childhood bedroom, and the Frank Ocean cover that drew tens of millions of views and proved she didn't need anyone's permission to connect with an audience. She opens up about walking into Capitol Records years later and telling executives I don't feel like I need you guys, but I would love to have a partnership, performing for Ed Sheeran's 80,000-person crowds while pregnant with her son Zayden, and why a 75-seat coffeehouse show where Scooter Braun couldn't even get in became the turning point that led to her Best New Artist Grammy nomination in 2016. She reflects on pivoting to gospel music and winning two Grammys for Hiding Place with Kirk Franklin, collapsing at dinner in downtown LA from blood clots in her legs and lungs and spending a week in the ICU, and returning to American Idol as a mentor to tell contestants that even if they don't win, their career can still be everything they dreamed of. She shares why becoming a mother gave her a peace she didn't know she was missing, why she still feels insecure explaining herself in words but can make you feel everything through a song, and why Polly Anthony's belief in a shy 12-year-old girl is the reason she's able to stand on stage today and sing exactly who she is. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ 00:00:00 Intro: The Executive Who Saw Her at 12 Years Old 00:04:22 Star Search, David Archuleta, and Losing Again 00:05:40 Will Anyone Understand Me? The Shy Girl Who Just Wanted to Sing 00:06:31 How Do We Package That? When the Industry Wanted to Change Her 00:12:40 When Polly Left: Everything Changes at 13 00:19:12 The Frank Ocean Cover That Changed Everything 00:23:29 Walking Into Capitol Records: I Don't Need You, But Let's Partner 00:28:11 Opening for Ed Sheeran While Pregnant 00:32:41 The 75-Seat Coffee House Where Scooter Braun Couldn't Get In 00:35:28 Best New Artist: The Grammy Nomination at Last 00:36:39 The Peace That Came with Motherhood: Success Redefined 00:40:53 Hiding Place with Kirk Franklin: Two Gospel Grammys 00:46:02 July 23, 2023: The Night She Collapsed in Downtown LA 00:48:26 Full Circle at Epic Records: Polly's Old Label 00:49:22 Returning to American Idol as a Mentor: What Am I Doing Here? 00:52:15 I Can Hide in My Music: The Insecurity She Still Carries ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Tori Kelly Executive Producer: David Begnaud, Olivier Delfosse, Justin McGoldrick Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative)
