...But to become a famous singer with the help of auto-tune just seems wrong to me....
I can't think of anyone who has become a famous
singer using autotune. Maybe T-Pain, but the auto-tune is
the gimmick.
All major label studio albums use auto-tune nowadays (from what I have heard). Most studio singers (including the one everyone wants to bash, Taylor Swift) sing close enough to pitch to begin with -- and most are probably pretty good.
So I think you are extrapolating the fact that a) everyone uses autotune to the erroneous conclusion that b) they are "making it" or only sound good because of autotune.