Why Carrie Underwood Is Glad She Didn’t Get a Record Deal Sooner
Country star Carrie Underwood became a household name when she won American Idol in 2005, becoming one of the most well-known success stories from the show.
Even though many people would love to have a record deal as soon as possible to take advantage of all of the time that they have, Carrie Underwood was the opposite.
Getting a record deal after winning American Idol was the right timing for the singer and she says she was glad that her music career did not start sooner. Here’s why.
Carrie Underwood won ‘American Idol’ at 22 years old
Carrie Underwood grew up in rural Checotah, Oklahoma, and discovered from a young age that she loved singing. She sang at many events around the Checotah community and was even a regular part of school choirs.
Despite her love for singing, though, when Underwood graduated high school, she decided to leave singing behind. “I pretty much gave up on the dream of singing,” she once shared. “I had reached a point in my life where I had to be practical and prepare for my future in the ‘real world.'”
However, when she was in college and just a few credits short of graduating, Carrie Underwood took a leap of faith and auditioned for American Idol. Little did the small town girl know, the audition would change her life forever.
American Idol took Carrie Underwood to Hollywood and she competed against many other talented singers. She quickly stood out with her amazing voice and powerful range, which earned her lots of fans and praise from the judges.
At 22 years old, Carrie Underwood was crowned the fourth American Idol and she won a recording contract that would allow her to have a real singing career.
Carrie Underwood could have had a record deal long before ‘American Idol’
It’s hard to imagine Carrie Underwood not winning American Idol, but a long time ago, that was a real possibility as she could have had a different path to the music industry.
When she was only 14 years old, Underwood went to Nashville and had a chance to sign with Capitol Records. However, the deal fell through and she went home empty-handed. No doubt the young Carrie Underwood was devastated, though looking back, she is glad that life worked out differently.
Speaking to Parents.com, she shared that getting to experience more of life before earning a record deal gave her a much better outlook on everything.
“I had the opportunity to pay my own bills and I had jobs and I got to struggle a little bit and grow up before [I won American Idol],” Underwood said. “I’m so glad that didn’t work out for me when I was younger. I don’t think I’d be where I am now and I don’t think I would’ve been able to emotionally handle that.”
Carrie Underwood created a successful life after ‘American Idol’
It seems like Carrie Underwood’s valuable experiences did wonders for her career when she finally got a record contract in 2005. She went on to release platinum-selling albums and recorded many hit singles such as “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” “Before He Cheats,” “All-American Girl,” and “I Told You So.”
She has also won numerous awards, including seven Grammy’s and nine CMA’s, for her work. Additionally, she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and even holds the world record for the most amount of No. 1 country songs for a female artist.
Outside of career, Carrie Underwood’s personal life seems to be blossoming as well. She married former NHL player Mike Fisher in 2010 and the couple has two sons: Isaiah (b. 2015) and Jacob (b. 2019).
