Carrie Underwood is headed back to where it all started for her music career–American Idol. Carrie will be performing on the show’s series finale this Thursday, April 7th. Carrie first auditioned for the reality singing competition in 2004, and went on to become Idol‘s fourth winner. In the years since she has become one of the biggest music stars around the world–something Carrie says all started with her first fans voting for her American Idol.

  Carrie Underwood still can’t believe it’s been more than 10 years since she won American Idol. (:11)
“In some ways it feels like it was a million years ago, and in some ways it feels like it was just yesterday. I know I’m blessed, and I’m so happy that, you know, I still get to do what I love.”

  Carrie Underwood still has fans today that started with voting for her on American Idol. (:35)
“I came into this music industry in a different way through American Idol, and I feel like I’m an elected official, because they voted me in. They voted for me. I still get people coming up to me all the time saying, ‘I voted for you! Oh, my gosh, it’s been so great to see everything that’s happened’…but (laughs) it’s been really, really great to have that support from the beginning. They made me. They put me where I am, through their votes and through their support and through them buying the albums afterwards. And I know there have been so many that have really hung in there and really been there since the beginning, and that means a lot.”