Carrie Underwood: ‘Not an Ounce of Me Thought I Would Win’ ‘American Idol’

Carrie Underwood became one of country music's biggest stars after winning American Idol in 2005, but she was once unsure if she should even bother trying out for the show. During an hour-long Q&A at the 2020 Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, Tenn., the singer revealed that she had no idea she'd end up winning the reality show's fourth season.

"I would say not an ounce of me thought I would win," she told the crowd of radio programmers and country music industry members. "I come from the tiniest town in the world. I'd never been on a plane before. I like to sing, but lots of people like to sing. I wanted to be a famous country music singer, but a lot of people do."

Although she went into her audition for show with high hopes, Underwood fully expected that she would be cut from the Idol competition: "What I honestly thought would happen was, I would go there, and the door would shut, and I could move on with the rest of my life, saying, 'Well, I tried,'" she admits. Instead, Underwood beat out Bo Bice for the winning spot and has gone on to release seven studio albums, including 2018's Cry Pretty.

Long before she tried out for American Idol, Underwood looked for any opportunity to showcase her voice. "I grew up always wanting to sing and would sing anywhere," she explains. "I'd take any opportunities.

"We had a band when I was a teenager, and we would go play bars in Oklahoma and Arkansas, and do car shows and county fairs, just trying to get experience and doing what I loved," Underwood adds. "I just always wanted to sing."

That mixture of passion and experience helped pave the way for Underwood's immense success, which is still both overwhelming and surprising to her.

"I had no idea how to get here. It was just one of those 'God moments' where everything just lined up an instant," Underwood reflects. "I learned a ton on the show and was blessed enough to work with so many incredible people."

LOOK: Carrie Underwood Through the Years

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