It’s hard to imagine country music without Carrie Underwood. In the 13 years since we were first introduced to her as a contestant on the fourth season of American Idol, Underwood has gone on to become one of the most successful female artists in country music history.
But, can you believe that she almost didn’t audition for the show that launched her career?
In a rarely seen interview on YouTube, Carrie shared the story behind her audition and revealed that she thought it was “stupid” and almost didn’t go.
It was the summer before Carrie’s senior year of college when she heard that American Idol was auditioning for a new season. After getting online to see where the nearest audition city was, she approached her mom to ask how far St. Louis was from their Checotah, Oklahoma, hometown. After learning that it was a seven-hour drive, Carrie let the idea go. But, her mom didn’t.
“Hours later, after I’d already put it out of my mind and forgotten about it, [mom] said ‘You know what? If you want to go I’ll drive you,'” Carrie said. “I was like ‘No, no, no….it’s stupid. I’m not gonna do that.'”
Carrie’s mom responded, “Well, it’s out there. It’s on the table. I think you should and I’ll drive you.”
As they say, the rest is history. “That stupid decision I almost didn’t want to do, changed my life forever,” said Carrie.
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Her 2005 debut album Some Hearts became the best-selling solo female debut album in country music history. She has since earned seven Grammy Awards, membership into the Grand Ole Opry, sold more than 65 million albums, and won dozens of other awards, securing her place in history as the most successful American Idol winner ever.
We don’t know about you, but we’re thankful that Carrie Underwood’s mom encouraged her to take that trip to St. Louis more than 13 years ago.
Watch Carrie’s full interview in the video below.