Carrie Underwood is a big fan of ’90s country, and especially Martina McBride. In a recent installment of Underwood’s Idol to Icon series, Underwood shares a performance of her singing McBride’s “Independence Day” while she was competing on American Idol in 2005, revealing how McBride shaped her own career.
“I sang ‘Independence Day’ a few times on the show. In my hometown package, I was singing it to the cows in the pasture,” Underwood recalls with a chuckle. “I sang it again at the very end of the show. So she was somebody that I looked up to. Still look up to. I would want to sing her songs because they were difficult.
“In a lot of ways, she kind of taught me how to sing,” she continues, “because I was trying to sing her big songs with her big voice. But my very first audition, before I got in front of the cameras, I sang one of her songs, ‘Phones Are Ringin’ All Over Town.’ If I had picked a different song, or a different artist, everything might have ended up a lot different.”
Underwood has been vocal about her admiration for female artists like McBride, Reba McEntire and more.
“I sang ‘A Broken Wing’ and ‘Independence Day’ at every talent show that I performed at, ever,” Underwood tells Las Vegas Magazine,. “And then maybe Faith Hill. She’s another one that I feel I sing a lot of her stuff, and she was also my first concert. She was opening for Alan Jackson at the time, so that was my first concert ever.”
McBride spoke out about Underwood’s comments, praising Underwood for all she has done.
“It feels so good when you can be an inspiration for someone,” McBride writes. “One of my biggest inspirations was Linda Ronstadt and I spent hours singing along with her records. To hear Carrie say she looked up to me and sang my songs and to have her sing ‘Independence Day’ on Idol means so much. Congratulations Carrie Underwood, on all that you have accomplished. Idol to Icon!”
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Underwood has spent 20 years as one of country music’s superstars, but her favorite decade of music is the era that came before her rise to fame.
”90s country was just the best,” the mother of two says. “It was the best, by far. If I’m ever having a bad day, good day, any kind of day, if you just put on a ’90s country playlist and just let it roll, it’s just the best.”
When Underwood won American Idol in 2005, she could never have predicted that she would return to the show as a judge two decades later.
“It feels like home,” Underwood tells Good Morning America. “There are so many people that even still work on the show that were there when I was a contestant. And I feel like being on both sides of the coin, I’ll be able to hopefully offer some insight and help and kind of offer a different viewpoint.”
By her own admission, Underwood just wanted to get far enough on the show that she would have some name recognition so she could get a job as a local newscaster, never imagining how far her audition would ultimately take her.
“I remember being at home in our little house in Checotah, and seeing on TV that there were auditions in St. Louis. My mom said, ‘If you want to go, I’ll drive you,’” Underwood says in a video announcing her return.
“I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching the show.,” she continues. “I’m proud of everything that I was able to accomplish on the show, and I’m so proud of everything that I’ve accomplished since.”
American Idol airs on Sunday and Monday nights at 8:00 PM ET on ABC.