Carrie Underwood is one of the biggest stars in contemporary country music, but it wasn’t that many years ago that she was just another young singer looking for a break.
Underwood was almost entirely unknown when she auditioned for American Idol on Aug. 8, 2004. The clip above shows the young singer nervously pacing and wringing her hands in the hallway outside of the audition room, while her mom, Carole, proudly told the cameraman, “I just think she’s beautiful, and I think she’s got the voice, so I hope she’s going on. But I don’t know. I have faith in her.”
The 21-year-old aspiring star admitted to judge Randy Jackson that she was “a little bit” nervous, “because he’s scary,” she said with a cute laugh, indicating the sometimes-intimidating Simon Cowell, who was clearly bemused, saying, “No I’m not,” with a big grin. She went on to completely charm the judges before she’d sung a note, talking about being the captain and quarterback of the football team and even — with some understandable reluctance — revealing on-air the fact that she was born with a third nipple, which she had removed.
Underwood auditioned by singing the Bonnie Raitt classic “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” and it was obvious from the first note that she would make it through to the show, with both Cowell and Jackson complimenting her on her performance. But she wasn’t done just yet — Underwood also demonstrated an uncanny ability to cluck like a chicken so convincingly that the normally unflappable Cowell said, “God, that was good.”
She not only made it to the live show, Underwood dominated the fourth season of American Idol and was ultimately crowned the winner on May 25, 2005.
Her 2005 debut album, Some Hearts, was a massive hit, and she has gone on to a decade of runaway success that includes seven Grammy Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards, 11 Academy of Country Music Awards and eight American Music Awards, along with a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song. She is the best-selling American Idol alum in U.S. sales, and has scored more than a dozen No. 1 hits.
Underwood recently announced she is returning to American Idol, this time as a judge. She’ll step in to replace the departing Katy Perry during Season 23.
See 8 Forgotten American Idol Auditions:
Sterling Whitaker is a Senior Writer and Senior Editor for Taste of Country. He focuses on celebrity real estate, as well as coverage of Yellowstone and related shows like 1883 and 1923. He’s interviewed cast members including Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Sam Elliott and Harrison Ford, and Whitaker is also known for his in-depth interviews with country legends including Don Henley, Rodney Crowell, Trace Adkins, Ronnie Milsap, Ricky Skaggs and more.
20 Things Carrie Underwood Has Done Since Winning ‘American Idol’
Carrie Underwood has been, well, busy since winning Season 4 of American Idol in 2005. Since the confetti fell, the country singer has released nine albums and embarked on seven tours. She’s also tried her hand at acting and launched a handful of businesses.
Over the years she’s become one of the biggest success stories to come out of the show, winning countless awards and amassing a staggering net worth of over $100 million.
Keep scrolling to see 20 things Underwood has done since her time on the reality singing competition.
A Look Back at Carrie Underwood on ‘American Idol’
Carrie Underwood had a truly unforgettable run on American Idol, and though she’s moved on to become one of country music’s biggest superstars, she’s never forgotten her roots on the show.
Flip through the gallery below to see Underwood’s history on Idol, from her journey to being the Season 4 champion in 2005 to all the times she’s returned to the show.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
PICTURES: See Inside Carrie Underwood’s Breathtaking Nashville Mansion
Carrie Underwood and her husband, Mike Fisher, owned a 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom, 2-half-bathroom home in an affluent Nashville suburb called Brentwood. The 7,000-square-foot mansion features a wet bar, fitness center and tennis court, as well as a four-car garage, walk-out basement with heated marble floors and extra appliances, including a sub-zero fridge and wine fridge. That house is where Underwood suffered a devastating fall in 2017.
The couple sold the luxurious home for $1,410,000 in March of 2019, after they moved into the massive dream home that they had spent several years building from scratch.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker