Like Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood attended the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Friday, Nov. 3 to honor one of the class of 2023 inductees. Where Stapleton paid tribute to country legend Willie Nelson, Underwood honored hit-making singer and Wham! band member George Michael.
Underwood shared a passionate rendition of Michael's "One More Try," released from the singer's 1987 album, Faith. In a social media post after the ceremony, Underwood shared her love for the singer (who passed away in 2016) and one of her "greatest regrets" regarding him.
"I hope @georgemofficial would've liked this... I never really got to tell him what his voice meant to mine...and one of my greatest regrets is never having gotten the chance to sing with him," she wrote candidly. "But it was an honor to sing in his place to help welcome him into the @rockhall last night. It is beyond deserved."
"Also, I may have made a fool of myself to @andrewjohnridgeley whilst fangirling a bit," she added about Michael's fellow Wham! band member Andrew Ridgeley. "But he was so kind. What a night! A heartfelt congrats to all the inductees!!! #RockHall2023"
Michael was also honored by Miguel, who performed "Careless Whisper," as well as Adam Levine with a performance of "Faith." Ridgeley officially inducted Michael into the famed institution, posthumously.
"Wham! was the realization of everything I had ever aspired to, and the realization for George that stretching before him along a gilded and infinite path lay his destiny," Ridgeley said, according to NME.
Michael is remembered as one of the bestselling musicians of all time with sales between 100 million and 125 million records worldwide. He and Ridgeley formed Wham! in 1981, and Michael embarked on a solo career in 1987. The singer died on Christmas Day 2016 at his home in England. He was 53.
