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Gretchen Carlson's path to TV journalism began with a violin. Since her childhood, music had been her passion; a talented violinist who'd been training since the age of six, Carlson was just 13 when she performed with the Minnesota Orchestra. Competing in musical competitions led to other avenues, and while attending high school she displayed her musical abilities — and her natural beauty — at the Miss T.E.E.N. Minnesota pageant. That led to more pageants, and in 1988 Carlson was named Miss Cottage Grove, and then Miss Minnesota. The following year, she represented her home state in the Miss America pageant — and won. After being crowned 1989's Miss America, she went on to graduate from Stanford.

Her musical ambitions fell by the

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