Carrie Underwood & Rascal Flatts Perform “Bless The Broken Road”

Carrie Underwood is the most successful country music artist to come out of American Idol. After winning the show’s 4th season in 2005, Underwood skyrocketed to fame with her debut album Some Hearts. The album became the best-selling solo female debut album in country music history, the fastest-selling debut country album in Nielsen SoundScan history and the best-selling country album of the last 14 years.

In the years since her Idol victory, Underwood has continued to break records and earn herself the title of the modern day Queen of Country. Many have forgotten the journey that brought Carrie Underwood to the country music community….the journey that was American Idol.

Dubbed American Idol‘s greatest success story, the Checotah, Oklahoma native almost signed with Capitol Records at age 14. A strange series of events caused Underwood not to sign the record deal.

RELATED: 14-Year-Old Carrie Underwood Performs Martina McBride’s ‘A Broken Wing’ For Live Audience

Fast forward several years.

Carrie Underwood had nearly given up on her dream of singing, and had chosen to attend college and pursue a degree in mass communication with an emphasis in journalism. One year shy of earning her degree, Underwood auditioned for American Idol…something that wouldn’t have happened had she signed the record deal with Capitol Records years before. Underwood would go on to complete her degree in 2006, after being crowned the Idol champ.

One of Carrie Underwood’s most popular performances on American Idol was a duet she performed with Rascal Flatts‘ Gary Levox. During the show’s finale, the two sang the band’s Grammy Award-winning song “Bless the Broken Road.” The song seemed an anthem of sorts for Underwood who had indeed traveled a broken road to fulfill her dream of singing. 

Watch Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts perform “Bless the Broken Road” during the American Idol Season 4 finale below.