Burleson is a city spanning Johnson and Tarrant Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is considered a suburb of Fort Worth and is located in the rapidly growing suburban expanse just south of the city. As of 2009, the population was 34,350, having increased from the 20,976 residents officially counted during the 2000 census. Burleson is named for Rufus C. Burleson, a former President of Baylor University at Waco. On October 10—11, 2009, the First Baptist Church observed its 125th anniversary during Burleson's Founders Day weekend. An historical marker, the fourth in Burleson, was unveiled at the church. An historical marker is also pending outside Burleson at the location of a stagecoach robbery by the notorious frontier outlaw Sam Bass. Burleson is the hometown of the original American Idol Kelly Clarkson, and the reality MTV show My Life as Liz is set in Burleson.