Carrie Underwood Reveals She Tried to Back out of ‘American Idol’ Audition

Carrie Underwood is the most successful American Idol contestant of all time, but she almost didn’t even try out for the show. The Oklahoma native revealed in a new interview that she tried to change her mind, but was convinced to go through with the audition by her mother.

“I always wanted to be a country music singer, and I had seen Idol,” Underwood told the BBC while on the U.K. leg of her Cry Pretty Tour 360 per a report from CMT. “But I’m not that kind of person, to be honest. I don’t just go do stuff like that. That was dreaming too big. The stars just lined up in the right way. And my mom was a big supporter when I was trying to talk myself out of it, like ‘It’s stupid. There’s no way. What are the chances?’”

It was Underwood’s mother, Carole, who said, “I will drive you. Let’s go. Why not?” The decision kicked off Underwood’s superstar career, which is much bigger than she ever imagined.

“This has exceeded any and all hopes and dreams and expectations that I ever had,” conceded the 36-year-old. “Some of it, thinking back, is kind of a blur because there was so much going on all at once. I journaled a lot during that time, so it would be really interesting to go back and look through my journals. I wrote a lot.”

Underwood was recently praised by music fans all over the world, after she posted a photo of herself on social media wearing a Wham! sweatshirt.

“I am always forever a fan of George Michael, as per my shirt. I searched high and low for this,” she said of her shirt, adding that she first listened to their music when she was only 3 years old. “I had older sisters who controlled the radio, so I got a lot of musical influences from what they listened to.”

Underwood also opened up about her affection for Michael on Instagram, after the singer passed away.

“I never told him (mainly because I thought I’d freak him out) but #georgemichael has always been such an influence on me,” Underwood wrote. “As a child, his was the first voice I could pick out of the sea of voices I heard on the radio. Before I knew anything about him, I knew his voice.

“As an adult, I cried when I saw him in concert,” she continued. “His songs and his voice helped to teach me how to sing. I will forever regret not letting him know…Thank you, George, for giving the world your gifts…may you rest in peace.”

Underwood gets to enjoy some time off the road before she continues her Cry Pretty Tour 360 in the United States. The next leg of the tour will kick off in September, with Runaway June and Maddie & Tae serving as her opening acts. Find dates at CarrieUnderwoodOfficial.com.

Photo Credit: Getty Images / Jo Hale