At 8, Christina Aguilera would escape the turmoil at home by singing in her grandmother’s living room, clutching a hairbrush as a microphone while belting *The Sound of Music*. Her father’s abusive behavior cast a dark cloud, and her mother Shelly made the brave decision to leave, sacrificing stability to give Christina and her sister safety. Despite constant moves, Shelly drove her to every talent show, scraped together money for costumes, and recorded demo tapes late into the night. Those mome