Remember When Carrie Underwood Sang a Duet With Randy Travis?
Carrie Underwood is one of the biggest stars in country music, but her duet with one of her own childhood heroes was a special moment even for her. The superstar returned to American Idol in 2009 to perform "I Told You So" as a duet with Randy Travis.
Underwood first came to public attention by winning the iconic reality singing competition's fourth season in 2005, and she shot to instant fame with the release of her debut album, Some Hearts, later that year. She recorded a cover version of "I Told You So" for her second album, Carnival Ride, in 2007, and in 2008 Travis himself was on hand to invite Underwood to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
The pair teamed up in 2009 for a duet on Travis' classic during Grand Ole Opry Week on American Idol, as seen in the clip above, with Travis beaming at Underwood as she belts out his lyrics in her clear, powerful voice. Underwood was just five years old when Travis took "I Told You So" to No. 1 in 1988, and she counts the song as one of her favorite country ballads.
"Randy Travis is somebody that, I remember my sister had a cassette tape of his," she tells People. "I would listen to it probably way more than she did, and I just loved not just his voice, because he has such a distinct voice, but his songs ... it was such an amazing thing getting to meet him through that, and getting to be able to talk to him through that."
They released a studio version of the duet to country radio, and it was an enormous success, reaching No. 2 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart and earning the duo a Grammy for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals. Even so, Travis laughs at the notion that he's an influence on Underwood.
"I don't know how much of an influence I would be vocally on her. She's so far beyond me that it's ridiculous," he tells Billboard. "She's an incredible singer. If her range is six feet tall, mine would be about a foot. I can't touch what she can do."
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