Carrie Underwood Tributes Linda Ronstadt At 2019 Kennedy Center Honors

Carrie Underwood took the stage at the 2019 Kennedy Center Honors to perform a special musical tribute to one of her own musical idols, Linda Ronstadt. Underwood delivered a stunning performance of two of Ronstadt's bigget hits, "Blue Bayou" and "When Will I Be Loved."

"One of the things I always admired about her is her ability to do whatever she wants. She always broke the rules and sang music that she felt like was true to her," Underwood said of Ronstadt prior to the 2019 Kennedy Center Honors (quote via CNN).

"She was a chameleon," Underwood added. "She loved music and she sang so many different kinds and genres; she wanted to sing country music, rock music, she would sing [in] Spanish. She is just somebody I think the rest of us should all be more like."

Ahead of Underwood's performance, Ronstadt's accomplishments were details by fellow music legend, the Eagles' Don Henley. "The first time I heard Linda Ronstadt sing, it was like everything stopped," he recalled on stage. "Linda's curiosity about a multitude of musical styles took her from folk to country to rock to R&B, to American standards and show tunes, to operettas and Mexican corridos. And Linda owned each and every genre she explored. Music has been a part of her life since the very beginning."

In addition to Underwood, Trisha Yearwood was also at the 2019 Kennedy Center Honors where she too paid tribute to Ronstadt through song. Michael Tilson Thomas, Earth, Wind & Fire and Sesame Street were also among the 2019 honorees.

The 2019 Kennedy Center Honors aired Sunday (December 15) on CBS. Watch Underwood's flawless tribute live from the ceremony below.

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