Kelly Clarkson is Named 'Best Musical Buddy'.

DULLES, Va. -- America Online, Inc.

Platinum-Selling Artist is the Musician AOL Instant Messengers Would
               Most Like to Add to Their AIM Buddy Lists

   AIM Users Are Invited to See How In-Demand They Are With New 'How
           Popular Am I?' Feature and AIMFIGHT.com Web Site

When asked which musical artist they would most like to add to their AIM(R) Buddy List(R) features and chat with in real time, the thriving community of AOL(R) Instant Messenger(TM) (AIM(R)) users picked chart-topping artist, Kelly Clarkson.

Fresh off her hit album "Breakaway", Kelly Clarkson proved a strong favorite with the 50 million Americans that use the AIM service to send more than two billion instant messages every day.

"This award showcases just how popular and approachable Kelly Clarkson is," said Chamath Palihapitiya, vice president and general manager for AIM and ICQ, America Online, Inc. "For AIM users, the Buddy List is the most powerful social tool of all and AIM Screen Names are an essential part of social identity. Selecting Kelly as their 'Best Musical Buddy' means they see her as a friend in addition to enjoying her music and admiring her Cinderella story."

Kelly Clarkson won the 'Best Musical Buddy' honor over a stellar list of performing artists who topped both the pop charts and AOL(R) Search's list of top musical queries. Kelly has recorded two successful albums, Thankful and Breakaway. She is on tour this summer and appearing in 40 cities nationwide, including Salt Lake City, UT; Austin, TX; and New Orleans, LA. A complete list of concert dates is available at www.aoltickets.com.

Starting today, AOL members and AIM users everywhere can find out how in-demand they are by clicking on the 'How Popular Am I?' link on www.AIM.com. By entering their AOL or AIM Screen Name, users will see a graphical representation of how many Buddy Lists they are on as an indicator of just how connected they are with online friends and colleagues. Those with a competitive streak can go directly to www.AIMFIGHT.com to square off against buddies and compare Buddy List rank.

Additionally, fans on the web can watch Kelly's AOL Music Live concert on www.aolmusic.com. The show, which was broadcast live from Orlando's UCF Arena on Sunday, July 17th, features Kelly performing some of her most popular songs such as "Miss Independent," "Breakaway," & "Since You Been Gone." The concert gives fans an exclusive look at her current Hazel Eyes Tour and is available on demand at AOL Music.

Editor's Note: Kelly Clarkson was presented with the 'Best Musical Buddy' award in Del Mar, California.

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