Carrie Underwood performed at the recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, honoring the late George Michael. The singer, who passed away in 2016, was inducted along with Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Kate Bush, Rage Against the Machine, Missy Elliott and the Spinners.
“I hope George Michael would’ve liked this… I never really got to tell him what his voice meant to mine…and one of my greatest regrets is never having gotten the chance to sing with him,” Underwood shared on social media. “But it was an honor to sing in his place to help welcome him into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last night. It is beyond deserved.”
I hope @GeorgeMOfficial would’ve liked this… I never really got to tell him what his voice meant to mine…and one of my greatest regrets is never having gotten the chance to sing with him. But it was an honor to sing in his place to help welcome him into the @rockhall last… pic.twitter.com/WxHwbCvDHE
— Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) November 4, 2023
“Also, I may have made a fool of myself to Andrew Ridgeley whilst fangirling a bit,” she added, referring to his former Wham! partner, “but he was so kind. What a night! A heartfelt congrats to all the inductees!!!
Underwood performed “One More Try” in tribute to Michael. Miguel also performed, singing “Careless Whisper,” while Adam Levine sang “Faith.
Michael was inducted by Ridgeley.
“We achieved as Wham! our burning boyhood ambition…Wham! was the realization of everything I had ever aspired to, and the realization for George that stretching before him along a gilded and infinite path lay his destiny,” Ridgeley said in part.
Posted by Carrie Underwood on Saturday, November 4, 2023
This isn’t the first time Underwood has been open about her love of rock & roll music. The Oklahoma native spent time earlier this year opening for Guns N’ Roses, for select dates on their 2023 Global Tour. Although she is one of country music’s biggest superstars, Underwood says she is a fan of all genres of music, but especailly rock.
“I remember going to big rock festivals in Tulsa, and just being exposed to bands like Slipknot and stuff like that,” Underwood said on SiriusXM‘s Octane channel. “It was just a really great time in music. I feel like the late ’90s, early 2000s was just a fun time in rock music.”
Underwood is heading into this week’s CMA Awards with one nomination, for the night’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year, a category she shares with Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson.
Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning will resume their role as hosts of the live ceremony. The 2023 CMA Awards will air live on Wednesday, November 8, at 8:00 PM ET on ABC. More information can be found at CMAAwards.com.
Read ‘Carrie Underwood: 11 Things to Know About the Global Superstar’ here.