Martina McBride has served as the voice behind some of the most powerful and emotional songs in country music. From “Independence Day” to “Concrete Angel,” McBride has shown that she has the talent to beautifully tell heartbreaking stories through her voice.
One of McBride’s other tear-jerking hits is her 1997 single “A Broken Wing.” Written by the talented songwriting team of Phil Barnhart, Sam Hogin, and James House, “A Broken Wing” is about a woman who desperately tries to leave an abusive relationship. The ending has been interpreted in two ways, with some believing that the woman eventually took her own life with others believing that she finally escaped her abuser.
McBride managed to take the song all the way to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It was also a crossover hit, and peaked at the 61st spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
Since “A Broken Wing” was released in late 1997, it was still one of the most popular songs in 1998. That’s when a young girl with a big voice took to the stage to perform a cover of the song, blowing everyone away in the process.
That young girl was none other than Carrie Underwood. She was only 15 years old in 1998, but it was already clear at that point that she was destined to be a star.
Chad Little, who was a former member of the band 71 South, got the chance to perform with Underwood during a show in Fort Smith Arkansas. After all of these years, Little finally decided to share some footage from that concert. One of the clips he shared was one of Underwood singing “A Broken Wing,” and all we can say is…wow.
Underwood opened her performance with praise for McBride, calling her one of her idols. We bet that shy young girl never imagined that one day other aspiring singers would say the same thing about her!
For being so young, Underwood had incredible command of her voice. She got the chance to show off her beautiful tone and extensive range, something that she is well-known for now.
Considering how hard “A Broken Wing” is to sing technically and emotionally, Underwood did an outstanding job. It honestly doesn’t surprise us though, because her talent is undeniable.
Tune in below to watch a young Underwood deliver one spectacular cover of McBride’s “A Broken Wing.” She was born with talent, and it shows in this performance!