Carrie Underwoods journey to Trump Inauguration from American Idol champ

Carrie Underwood is gearing up to perform at President-elect Donald Trump’s swearing-in ceremony.Throughout her 20-year career, the “All-American Girl” crooner has mostly avoided voicing her political opinions.But the former “American Idol” winner expressed her love for the United States when she agreed to perform at the momentous occasion.“I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” Underwood, who will be joined by the Armed Forces Choir and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club, said in a statement.

“I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”The Oklahoma native captured the hearts of many on “American Idol” in 2005.After her victory, Underwood achieved instant success with singles such as “Jesus, Take The Wheel” and “Before He Cheats” off her debut album, as well as “Some Hearts,” which became the best-selling debut album of all time by a solo female country artist.

She went on to release eight more studio albums, including “Carnival Ride” (2007), “Play On” (2009), “Blown Away (2012) and more. But as one of the most influential singers in country music, the eight-time Grammy Award-winner’s personal and professional life has often faced criticism. “The role-model word is really scary to me, because no matter what happens in your life, something you do, wear, say, sing, whatever — somebody somewhere is probably not going to like it too well,” she told the Associated Press in 2012.“I just really try hard to do what I do and try to be nice to people and make great music, and if people think they can look up to that, that’s wonderful.

If not, that’s OK, too.”With a widespread fan base ranging from evangelical Christians to the LGBTQ+ community, Underwood’s political stance has often been at the center of debate. “There is someone...