Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan Release Live ‘Deep River Woman’
The judges performed Richie’s song together during the Season 24 finale.
Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan have released a live recording of “Deep River Woman,” following their performance of the song during the Season 24 finale of American Idol. The recording is available on major streaming platforms, and the full performance can be watched online.
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Richie originally recorded “Deep River Woman” with country group Alabama in 1986. The song’s combination of R&B and country influences connects the original recording with this new version by Richie, Underwood and Bryan, who performed together as fellow American Idol judges.
Richie said the song already held personal significance for him, and that performing it with Underwood and Bryan gave it a new meaning. “There’s nothing like getting together with great friends and making music,” he said. “Now, we get to share that moment with everybody, and I hope fans enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed singing it together.”
Underwood called the performance an honor and welcomed the chance to preserve it in a live recording. “What an honor it was to perform a classic Lionel Richie track with the legendary Lionel Richie and our buddy Luke, and I’m thrilled that our live version of it will live on,” she said.
Bryan described joining the recording as another “pinch me” moment. He said he looks up to Richie for both his music and the person he is offstage, adding that he considered it an honor to sing the song alongside Richie and Underwood.
