The country music legend Carrie Underwood won season four of “American Idol” back in 2005, launching her career in the process. That’s why it came as a shock to her fans this week when Underwood, 37, revealed that she nearly quit the show and ended her career before it even started.

“The summer before my senior year, I was home one day, watching TV—the one in the living room—and saw a news segment about people auditioning for the show ‘American Idol,’” Underwood explained. “I checked online. The closest auditions were being held in St. Louis.”

She added at the time, she thought the six hour drive to St. Louis was “too far” and therefore her dream to audition was “out of the question.” It was only when her mother agreed to drive her that she decided to go through with auditioning.

“It would be easy to say the rest is history, that it was meant to be. But it didn’t feel like that at the time. Going through a slew of auditions in St. Louis, getting the ‘golden ticket’ to Hollywood, every contestant’s dream, I was terrified,” Underwood said. “Every time I had to sing in front of the judges, I’d get nervous the way I did in church that first time. Then I’d say a prayer and leave it in God’s hands.”

However, when it came time for Underwood to leave her hometown and travel to Los Angeles for the next round of the show, she broke down.

“All at once, it was just too much. Going out to Los Angeles by myself, competing with all those other people who were so talented. I burst into tears,” she said. “My dad turned to me in the backseat. ‘Carrie,’ he said, ‘we can go home right now, and we don’t ever have to talk about it again.’”

Thankfully, Underwood was able to overcome her own fears, and she credits her ability to persevere to her small town upbringing.

“Growing up on a farm with loving parents and our church family defined my values. A small town with good people helped form me. I was rooted in something solid before I got to spread my wings,” she explained.

“I might be one of those stars myself these days, but Mike [Fisher] and I do all we can to raise our two boys with values like the ones I grew up with in Checotah,” Underwood concluded. “Down-to-earth, church on Sundays, plenty of grass and trees and space outside for them to roam. At night, when we put the boys to bed, we pray out loud with them. Just talking to God, letting them know he hears their every word.”