Much has changed for Carrie Underwood in the last 20 years, and it’s mostly thanks to American Idol. Since her 2005 victory, the “Before He Cheats” songstress has transformed from small-town Oklahoma farm girl to country music phenomenon. (Although she does still occasionally drive the blue Ford Mustang that accompanied her season 4 win.) This upcoming weekend brings not only a brand-new season of American Idol, but a new career milestone for Underwood. As she readies for her judging debut alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, the eight-time Grammy Award recently sat down to watch the audition that started it all.
Carrie Underwood Reflects on Life-Changing ‘American Idol’ Audition
Carrie Underwood was just 21 years old when she checked out a map on American Idol‘s website and asked her mother how far of a drive St. Louis was. After explaining her desire to try out for the singing reality competition show, then only in its fourth season, Underwood’s mom said, “If you wanna go, I’ll drive.”
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Ahead of her audition, an Idol executive producer warned the “Jesus, Take The Wheel” hitmaker that notoriously prickly judge Simon Cowell hated country music. Underwood recalled, “One of the executive producers at the time, was like, ‘You know, Simon hates country music, right?’” She says that led to her decision to sing Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” for Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson.
“I thought maybe… it would kind of still be me, and a song that I knew and loved,” she said during an appearance on the show’s official YouTube channel.
Ultimately, the decision didn’t steer her wrong. Cowell remarked after her audition that she was “very good” and should “stay good at what you do.”
[RELATED: “We Can Do That?” The Shocking ‘American Idol’ Trick Luke Bryan Taught Carrie Underwood’]
“It’s Destiny”
Twenty years later, Carrie Underwood, 41, admitted, “I have no idea how that 21-year-old Carrie was able to muster up enough guts to walk into a room and audition for Simon, Paula, and Randy… and the world.”
She continued, “It’s destiny, and we all have one, and it’s written, and you just kind of have to follow it.”
See Carrie Underwood make her judging debut when season 23 of American Idol premieres Sunday, March 9, at 7 p.m. Central on NBC.
Featured image by Raymond Hall/GC Images
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