Twenty years ago, Carrie Underwood was just a small-town Oklahoma farm girl with a pipe dream. Then she belted Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” for American Idol judges Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. Immediately, the judges knew they had something special, and viewers would soon learn the same. Nine months later, Underwood dissolved into tears when Idol host Ryan Seacrest declared her the season 4 winner. Now, as the “Before He Cheats” singer gears up for her triumphant return as a judge, she is remembering that 21-year-old fresh off her first plane ride.
Carrie Underwood Marks 20th Anniversary of ‘Idol’ Audition
Sunday (Aug. 11) marked 20 years since Carrie Underwood embarked on her American Idol journey. The eight-time GRAMMY winner commemorated the occasion with a pair of throwback photos on social media.
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In the first picture, Underwood stands before the American Idol judges, sporting an off-the-shoulder pink top, lace cami, and crimped hairstyle. In the second, she grins widely as she holds her Nokia phone in one hand and her Idol audition card in the other.
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“20 years ago I auditioned for the judges of @americanidol, and today I am now one of those judges searching for someone who wants to BE AN IDOL!” wrote Underwood, 41, in the caption.
A clip from Underwood’s audition shows Randy Jackson asking the future best-selling artist if she’s nervous. “A little,” Underwood admits. When Jackson asks why, she gestures to Simon Cowell: “He’s scary.”
Underwood need not have worried, as Cowell had nothing but praise for her rendition of Bonnie Raitt’s 1991 hit. Later, after she belted Heart’s “Alone” during the Top 11 episode, the prickly British record executive predicted she would not only win, but also outsell all previous Idol winners.
Carrie Is Coming Home
It’s hard to believe that two decades have passed since the world learned Carrie Underwood’s name. (To be precise: two decades, 16 ACM Awards, 23 CMT Music Awards, five Guinness World Records and one wildly successful Las Vegas residency.)
Next year, Underwood will join Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie on the American Idol judging panel. She replaces Katy Perry, who left after seven seasons.
“She has so much to share with the new wannabes, having been a contestant herself,” a source recently told Life & Style. “And don’t let that sweet face fool you. Carrie’s going to be tough.”
Featured image by Amiee Stubbs/imageSPACE/Shutterstock
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