Ciara
Ciara Harris (now known just as Ciara) lived in Germany and across the States as the daughter of a U.S. Army service member. In her teens, she formed a small group called “Hearsay” with a couple friends, but when they broke up she kept trying to find a publishing deal. First as a songwriter, then as a singer, she managed to get all the way to a debut album by the age of nineteen, a year after she graduated from high school. That album, “Goodies,” debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, selling almost 125,000 copies. It would go on to sell nearly three million copies in the US alone.
Michelle Rodriguez
Michelle Rodriguez’ father, Rafael, served in the US Army, but she was primarily raised by her mother and then her maternal grandmother. Rodriguez first became an actress with a starring role in “Girlfight,” a low-budget boxing film. However, her outstanding performance in that film won multiple awards, which allowed her to move on to films such as “The Fast and the Furious” and “Resident Evil.”
John Denver
Before he sung “Rocky Mountain High” John Denver spent time as a military brat whose father served in the U.S. Air Force. He was born in Roswell, New Mexico as “Henry John Deutschendorf,” but he later decided that name wouldn’t fit well on a marquee. After a few years in various clubs and groups, Denver released his first solo album, “Rhymes & Reasons.” He had to do all of his own marketing, including setting up an impromptu tour, but it was enough to spur his next album to a great success. This was also in large part due to his most famous song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”