American Idol's Mustang Sally

On the road to fame, this American Idol winner sings a song of sports cars.

Carrie Underwood shares the reasons why she loves one of America's most popularized rides.

Okay, I confess: The Ford Mustang convertible I won on American Idol wasn't the first Mustang I ever owned. We weren't rich, but while I was growing up in Checotah, Oklahoma, our family was no stranger to sports cars.

I'm the youngest of three sisters; the next one is ten years older than me. So we never had a minivan, because it was just the three of us -- Mom, Dad and me. Our family car was a Chevy Camaro.

After I got my license, my parents and I made a deal: If I waited till I was 18 and was a good student, they'd buy me a car. It was a 2000 Mustang with 20,000 miles -- blue, my favorite color. It was big enough to cram my four dogs and two cats in, and go back and forth to college at Northeastern State University. And not only that -- my Mustang was my practice studio.

I'd always lived in an apartment or dorm, with people all around me or trying to sleep. So I'd wake up early, pop a CD in and drive around until I learned a song. It's the one place I could belt it and nobody'd care. Today, I usually practice in a real studio, and my debut country album comes out this month!

So, of course, when American Idol asked what color I'd like my new 2005 Mustang convertible to be, I picked blue. I don't plan to get rid of my old one, though, partly because I like having a less conspicuous car to drive around in back home, plus I've still got my animals. And I'll probably still "belt it" once in a while. With all the traveling on the tour bus lately, that will really feel like home.

From Reader's Digest - November 2005

 

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