Carrie Underwood has been candid about her fall last November that left her temporarily unable to sing. According to People , the 35-year-old country music singer was required to get 40 stitches to sew up her face and mouth after the injury.
Underwood endured injuries to her face and a broken wrist after taking a tumble down the steps outside of her home, only a few days after she had hosted the CMA Awards. Following the accident, Underwood kept a relatively low public profile, but spoke out about the difficult healing process and her fears of not looking the same as she did before her fall. However, her concerns were less about her physical appearance and more regarding her ability to do what she loves the most: sing.
The accident occurred while Underwood was busy at work recording her sixth album, Cry Pretty . She later opened about the mental and physical toll the healing process had on her saying it was virtually impossible for her to continue her work.
“I felt like the differences were more in my head than they were in anybody else’s that would listen to the things I was doing. I had wanted to be in the studio sooner than I was, actually recording these songs, but I had stitches inside my mouth, outside my mouth. It was physically impossible.”
When Underwood was finally able to return to the studio she did so with much anxiety. She didn’t know if her voice would sound the same or if she’d even be able to sing again at all. Although casual listeners might not be able to pick up on the changes, the singer knew her words weren’t coming out how she intended them.
The Grammy award winner said that her producer, David Garcia, was consistently patient and supportive of her throughout the time she slowly returned to her album. When she was down on herself about her lessened vocal ability, he continued to tell her she sounded great.
Over time, the singer has been able to come to terms with the effect her injury has had on her vocals. She realizes that not everyone’s voice remains the same for the duration of their life and hers is no exception.
“Things change just as you get older; muscles change. I kind of expect I’m not always going to sound like I’m 22 coming off of American Idol . Hopefully, I get better,” she said.
