American Idol has brought some of our favorite stars into the spotlight. Without the show, we might have missed out on quite a few talented singers. However, one of the show's most successful stars, Carrie Underwood, almost dropped out of the competition early on. The world of country music would have been forever altered if Underwood had let her fear stop her. To see why Underwood had second thoughts about American Idol, read on, and to find out which contestant flopped on another reality competition, discover The Worst Dancing With The Stars Contestant Ever, According to the Pros.
We know now that the Oklahoma native went on to win Season 4 of American Idol back in 2005, but early on in the competition, Underwood was not so sure about her chances. Underwood, who has since won seven Grammy Awards, said she was so terrified of competing that she almost turned around before heading to the Los Angeles portion of the competition.
In an article Underwood wrote for Guideposts magazine on Nov. 20, she detailed her journey to fame beginning with her time on American Idol. "The summer before my senior year, I was home one day, watching TV … and saw a news segment about people auditioning for the show American Idol," Underwood recalled. With the nearest audition in St. Louis, over six hours away from her home, she planned on passing it up. However, her mom stepped in and insisted on taking her.
"It would be easy to say the rest is history, that it was meant to be. But it didn't feel like that at the time. Going through a slew of auditions in St. Louis, getting the 'golden ticket' to Hollywood, every contestant's dream, I was terrified," Underwood wrote. On the way to the airport, Underwood felt overwhelmed by what she was in for.
"All at once, it was just too much. Going out to Los Angeles by myself, competing with all those other people who were so talented. I burst into tears," the country star wrote. Her dad offered to take her home and never talk about the show again, but thankfully Underwood decided to go through with the competition.
After winning the competition, Underwood went on to release seven albums and multiple hit singles. Keep reading to find out what other American Idol stars have been up to, and for A-listers who bailed on another popular reality competition, check out these 17 Celebrities Who Turned Down Dancing With the Stars.
1 Kelly Clarkson
The very first American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson, has gone on to release eight albums, write two children's books, and host her own talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show. Clarkson is currently a coach on The Voice. And for more news on the beloved pop star, This Is Why Kelly Clarkson Has an Eye Patch on The Voice.
2 Katharine McPhee
Although Katharine McPhee came in second to Taylor Hicks on Season 5 of American Idol, she went on to have a lot of opportunities. McPhee had starring roles in the TV series Smash and Scorpion. She also tried her hand at Broadway when she took on the lead role in the musical Waitress. And for more celebrity content delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
3 Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson placed seventh on the third season of American Idol, but she has achieved massive success. Hudson starred in the film adaptations of Dreamgirls and Cats, earning an Academy Award for the former. She also starred in The Color Purple on Broadway.
4 Phillip Phillips
The winner of the eleventh season of American Idol went on to release three albums, one of which included the hit single "Home." And for more reality TV news, Cake Boss Star Reveals He May Never Bake Again After Accident.
5 Adam Lambert
After being the runner-up on Season 8 of American Idol, Adam Lambert released four albums of his own. Lambert has also toured worldwide with Queen as the new lead vocalist.
6 Fantasia Barrino
Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino has released seven albums and appeared in Broadway shows The Color Purple and After Midnight. And for celebrities who said no to another singing competition, here are 5 Stars Who Turned Down The Masked Singer.
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