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Oprah Winfrey -

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most successful and influential people in the world, but it didn't come easy. Winfrey suffered a great deal of trauma in her childhood. Luckily, there was someone in her life who inspired her at that time. 

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Oprah Winfrey -

She revealed that her fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Duncan, was her greatest influence. Winfrey invited her old teacher onto her talk show in 1989 and told her how her belief and encouragement had changed her life. "I always, because of you, felt I could take on the world. You did exactly what teachers are supposed to do."

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Beyoncé -

Thanks to her phenomenal career and inspiring message, Oprah has gone on to influence many other successful celebrities. Beyoncé revealed that Oprah was one of her biggest icons. She described her as the epitome of inspiration and strength. Oprah has been like a guiding star throughout her career. 

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Zendaya - Zendaya is another young star who was deeply influenced by Oprah growing up. In an interview, she said that her goal in life is to be like Oprah! She sees her as a woman who can overcome any odds, and makes everything possible.

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Tom Brady - Tom Brady is basically one of the most famous jocks in the world, but he understands and appreciates strong women. He grew up with three sisters and says that his mother is one of the greatest influences in his life.

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Tom Brady - Next to his mother was his ex-wife, Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen. He says that both women have had a significant impact on his life. In October 2022, Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady got officially divorced.

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Selena Gomez -

The person who most inspired Selena Gomez to reach for the stars was her mom, Mandy Teefey. Teefey was an actress and took part in a lot of theater while Gomez was growing up. She always watched her mom perform and wanted to do the same. It inspired her to use her performing skills to make people happy. 

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Demi Lovato -

Demi Lovato has one hell of a voice, so it's no surprise that her biggest idol is one of the best female vocalists in recent history: Christina Aguilera. Lovato grew up listening to her music and completely idolized her. 

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Demi Lovato - Lovato told People that her 2017 album 'Tell Me You Love Me' was inspired by Aguilera, down to the black and white artwork.

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Harry Styles -

Harry Styles idolized Stevie Knicks since he was a child. The two formed a friendship after meeting in 2015, and he gave a heartfelt speech at her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

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Harry Styles -

Styles recalled that 'Dreams' was the first song he ever learned the words to, and although he didn't understand it, he knew it was beautiful. He called her one of his musical heroes. 

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Cardi B -

Cardi B has adored Lady Gaga for more than a decade. She tweeted that Lady Gaga changed her life when she was a teenager by inspiring her to be herself and embrace difference. 

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Willow Smith -

Willow Smith grew up in a famous family, surrounded by celebrities and the most successful people in the world. She had her pick of idols, but she chose Lady Gaga too. At 10 years old, Smith told interviewers that she was inspired by Lady Gaga because she cares about everybody. She also said she wanted to be a rock star and even more famous than Lady Gaga... 

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Kim Kardashian -

Kim Kardashian revealed that Jennifer Lopez has been her inspiration for everything in life. She said that Lopez inspired her to love glam, and she would obsessively see what Lopez was doing with her hair, makeup, and clothes. The two became friends and Kardashian said it was a dream come true. 

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Billie Eilish -

Billie Eilish was born in the early 2000s which makes it almost unavoidable that she became a Justin Bieber fan, but she was no ordinary fan. Eilish told Marie Claire, "I've been in love before, and it was with him." 

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Billie Eilish - Justin Bieber is one of the few people who understands what it's like to achieve such meteoric success as a teenager. He became a sort of mentor to Eilish once they met and formed a friendship. He shared that he wanted to protect her from the same problems he encountered earlier in his life.

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Ariana Grande - Ariana Grande credits Gloria Estefan as the person who inspired her to pursue a career in music. She idolized the Cuban-American singer, and had a chance meeting with her when she was just eight years old. Estefan saw Grande singing on a cruise ship and told her she gave a great performance. The interaction had a profound impact.

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Storm Reid -

Rising star Storm Reid got the opportunity to act alongside one of her idols when she scored a role on the award-winning series 'Euphoria.' Reid was inspired by Zendaya for years. She was completely star-struck when she met her at a Ben & Jerry's when she was nine years old! 

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Storm Reid -

Reid's admiration for Zendaya has only grown as she got to know her. Zendaya has become a mentor to her, as someone who has gone through all the same things that Reid is going through, and is always there to talk. 

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Lea Michele -

Lea Michele is just as big a fan of Barbra Streisand as her character in 'Glee.' Streisand's work was one of the biggest influences on her career. She recalled the terror and elation she felt when she had the chance to perform in front of Streisand at a benefit in 2011. 

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Adele -

Adele had long idolized Beyoncé before beating her at both Record of the Year and Album of the Year at the Grammys in 2017. In her acceptance speech she said that Beyoncé was the artist of her life. "You are our light, and the way that you make me and my friends feel—the way that you make my Black friends feel is empowering."

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Taylor Swift - In an odd but not entirely unexpected twist, Taylor Swift revealed that her cats are her biggest influences. Her three kitties, Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button, are almost as famous as she is.

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Taylor Swift -

When Swift was honored on the 2019 TIME 100 list, she was asked about the three things that influence her most in life. Her first answer was her cats: "They're very capable of dealing with their own life and if you fit into that on that day, they'll make some time for you maybe. I just really respect it."

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Chance the Rapper - Chance the Rapper shared that he grew up thinking Kanye West was the smartest man in the world! As a child he always said he wanted to be a rapper when he grew up. Kanye West was his greatest inspiration, and he thought he was the best poet in the world.

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Kelly Clarkson - Kelly Clarkson's biggest music influence is Reba McEntire, who also happens to be her mother-in-law! McEntire inspired Clarkson's music early on, but also had a more personal impact on her life once they became family.

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Normani -

Normani is a young music artist who started out as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony. She got the chance to meet her biggest icon, Beyoncé, in 2018. In an interview she shared that she almost started crying because Beyoncé was such an inspiration to her. She looked up to Beyoncé since she was a child, and even more so after her experience as an African-American woman in the entertainment industry.

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Coco Gauff -

Coco Gauff is a rising young tennis star who landed on the top 100 list while still a teenager, and who beat Venus Williams at the age of 15. She cites Venus and Serena Williams as her biggest idols. She said that her dad was inspired to support her tennis career thanks to seeing these two African-American women coming from their background succeed in a predominantly white and exclusive sport. 

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Serena Williams -

Gauff even developed much of her own game style by watching them play. Both Gauff and Serena Williams share another idol: Althea Gibson.

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Serena Williams -

Althea Gibson was one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis. She also became the first Black player to win a tennis Grand Slam. 

Sources: (Popsugar) (Thrive Global) (Bustle) (Tennis Head) 

See also: Inspiring quotes about acting from your favorite actors

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