It's been over a decade since Carrie Underwood wowed the world with her voice and won the fourth season of American Idol.
Not only did the country singer celebrate her 35th birthday on Saturday, but it also happens to be the weekend the long-running reality show returns (to CTV TV) featuring guest judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan.
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In honour of both occasions, iHeartRadio decided to take a trip down memory lane to revisit Underwood's first audition on the show.
Back in 2004, a bright-eyed woman and her mother drove from Checotah, Oklahoma to St. Louis, Missouri for a ticket to Hollywood. Wearing a simple pink top and blue denim jeans, Underwood was just 21 years old and had never even been on a plane.
"I feel a little scared ... nervous," her mother giddily told the camera crew. "I just think she's beautiful and I think she's got the voice, so I hope she goes on, but who knows? I have faith in her."
And just like that, Underwood nervously walked into the audition room and decided to sing a rendition of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me." She'd go on to improve her vocals in the years to come, but for her initial showing, the then-budding star walked away from her audition with stamps of approval from both Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. Resident nice judge Paula Abdul missed out on the action.
"That was very good, Carrie," Cowell complimented the future mega-star, before the contestant told Jackson that her favourite singer was Martina McBride.
Relive the moment below:
Original article by Hayden Brooks at iHeartRadio