Carrie Underwood: Teen Who Sang ‘The Champion’ at California Show Speaks Out

Carrie Underwood is continuing to perform “The Champion” with fans at each tour stop on her Cry Pretty Tour 360. One teenager, Isaac Einhell, took on the duties at Underwood’s recent show in Sacramento, California, later sharing all of the details of the unforgettable night.

“I got there, the tour rep came and told me when it was going to happen,” Einhell told KCRA TV station. “After she sang ‘Something in the Water,’ I was going to go down behind the stage, backstage, to get wired up and my my mic. It was pretty nerve-wracking because I had a mic failure; my ear pieces weren’t fitting. I couldn’t hear myself, and I couldn’t practice, because there was a mic failure. I hit my head really hard under the stage, and lost the lyrics, but I couldn’t turn back then.

“The lift dropped, I got on and knelt down, and that’s when it began,” he continued. “Carrie pointed to me, and I was just super-empowered. It all came back to my head, and it was awesome. The crowd went crazy. I think it was perfect. It was more than I could imagine. I was pretty proud of it. I got escorted back to my seat, and once I got into my seat, in my section, everyone from way up high was giving me a high-five and congratulating me.”

Before Einhell took the stage, the former American Idol champ shared the story behind the powerful single.

“So a while back, I was asked about writing a song for the Super Bowl,” Underwood said as part of her introduction for the inspiring tune. “I got together with a couple of my really good writer friends, and we just thought we’d see what would happen. We said, ‘There’s no rules. Let’s just write something that’s going to pump people up and get ready for the game. So we ended up writing ‘The Champion.’

“I immediately started getting letters, and people started coming up to me in the grocery store and on the street, saying things through social media, saying ‘This is my jam,’” she continued. “I’m going through this, I’m going through a tough time. It’s inspiring to me.’”

Download “The Champion” on iTunes. Find a list of all of her Cry Pretty Tour 360 dates, and audition to perform “The Champion” with Underwood at one of her upcoming shows, by visiting her website.

Photo Credit: Getty Images / Ethan Miller