Carrie Underwood might serenade the country music scene, but when it comes to her muse, she's all about Stephen King's spooky vibes. Beyond her first name sharing the title of King's debut novel, Underwood has drawn significant inspiration from the maestro of horror.
Carrie is about a shy high school girl with telekinetic powers. Facing bullying and abuse, her powers manifest destructively, culminating in a tragic prom night that haunts Chamberlain, Maine, forever. Published in 1974, the novel inspired a film adaptation that premiered just a few years thereafter.
Carrie Underwood was spawned upon the cursed Earth in 1983. Coincidence? Probably.
Still, Carrie Underwood is openly a huge fan of Stephen King's work. Underwood found her muse in King's Christine for the spooktacular music video of her hit, "Two Black Cadillacs." King's work is also reflected in the lyrics, too.
“Two Black Cadillacs” will always be my favorite @carrieunderwood music video and it just hits different on Halloween ??? pic.twitter.com/yUx5WZIkqk
— ????? ? (@stevevacante) October 31, 2023
Carrie Underwood Personally Reached Out to Stephen King For His Blessing
In a behind-the-scenes video discussing the song, Underwood reveals that the idea of a car coming to life inspired some of the lyrics. She also expresses her lifelong admiration for Stephen King. Released in 2012, the song achieved 2?— Platinum status.
"I had this idea... if the car did the killing — a la Christine, the Stephen King book," Underwood explains in the featurette. "I just thought that would be a cool little twist to the story."
Underwood was deeply moved by King's story, to the extent that she contacted him for permission to record and release the song.
"So I did reach out to ask if he might give his blessing, and I told him, 'I would never want to do this if you didn't sign off on it first,'" Underwood recalled.
Underwood admitted to being a lifelong horror fan, too.
"I really don't know why I've always loved horror movies, but I know why I've always loved Stephen King. My mom was such a huge fan," Underwood said. "I guarantee you she's read everything he's ever written. I would borrow her books and read her books. This is great reading for, like, you know, a grade-schooler, right?"
Circling back to the origin of Underwood's first name, it all adds up. Her mother is a huge fan of King, after all. Still, the novel Christine debuted the same year Underwood was born in 1983... Maybe Carrie's mother hadn't quite made her way through the new book before she entered the world...
