Carrie Underwood was one of many artists tapped to help induct the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2023 class that included Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott and more.
Carrie Underwood had the honor of paying tribute to late Wham! frontman, George Michael, with a performance of “One More Try.” The song was a single from Michael’s debut studio album, Faith, released in 1987, and topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart that same year.
It was only fitting that Underwood be included in the George Michael tribute. The country star is a longtime fan of Wham! and has covered their songs numerous times over the course of her career. In 2008, three years after winning American Idol, Carrie returned to the Idol stage for the Idol Gives Back event where she sang “Praying For Time,” another of George Michael’s chart-topping solo releases.
In 2005, the “Jesus, Take The Wheel” singer covered Wham!’s popular holiday tune, “Last Christmas,” for TNT’s “Christmas in Washington” television special
In 2015, Underwood appeared on James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke segment where she told the host that she knew every word to every Wham! song. She and Corden then kicked off a singalong of the song “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.”
George Michael was only 53 when he died on Christmas Day in 2016. A few years after his death, Carrie told Elle that she was sad she never got to sing with him.
“He was somebody who was definitely important to me growing up. Just hearing his voice, loving his voice so much, and falling in love with his voice at an early age,” Carrie said.
Underwood was one of three artists who performed tribute performances to mark George Michael’s Hall of Fame induction.
Former Voice coach and Maroon 5 frontman, Adam Levine, sang Michaels’ “Faith,” while Miguel, R & B singer and songwriter, sang his 1984 hit, “Careless Whisper.”
Hear a clip of Carrie Underwood’s tribute to George Michael from the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony below.