Mötley Crüe took the stage alongside country-pop superstar Carrie Underwood for a special appearance during the season finale of “American Idol“. The collaboration served as a highlight of the three-hour broadcast, which aired on Monday, May 11, and featured the legendary rock band and the former competition winner delivering a two-song set.
The performance included the band’s 1985 ballad “Home Sweet Home” followed by the high-octane classic “Kickstart My Heart“. The episode is currently available for viewers to stream on Disney+ and Hulu.
The collaboration marks a significant full-circle moment for Carrie Underwood, who is currently a judge on the singing competition alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. After winning the fourth season of the show in 2005, Carrie Underwood went on to achieve massive commercial success, with her debut studio album selling seven million copies.
The link between Carrie Underwood and Mötley Crüe dates back to 2009, when American Idol selected her recorded version of “Home Sweet Home” as the official farewell anthem for eliminated contestants. For the duration of that season, her rendition provided the soundtrack for the video montages shown as participants left the competition.
Upon releasing the cover for digital download on iTunes in March 2009, Carrie Underwood donated a portion of the earnings to the Humane Society of the United States.
This is not the first time Carrie Underwood has performed with members of the group. In August 2007, she joined Mötley Crüe vocalist Vince Neil on stage at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville for a live performance of “Kickstart My Heart“.
The star-studded finale featured a variety of guest performers, including Shinedown, Jason Mraz, Nelly, En Vogue, Tori Kelly, Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, and Clay Aiken. Host Ryan Seacrest returned for the finale of the long-running series, which continues to provide a national platform for aspiring vocalists.
Following their television appearance, Mötley Crüe will gear up for their massive “The Return Of Carnival Of Sins” summer tour. Produced by Live Nation, the 33-city trek serves a dual purpose: celebrating the band’s 45th anniversary and honoring the 20th anniversary of their groundbreaking 2005-2006 “Carnival Of Sins” run. The tour officially kicks off on July 17, 2026, at the Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, featuring opening support from veteran rock acts Extreme and Tesla.
The group has also confirmed a charitable component for the road trip, noting that $1 from every ticket sold will be directly donated to the After School Arts Program (ASAP!) through the Mötley Crüe Giveback Initiative. The funds will help support hands-on arts education and programming for young people.
The upcoming summer tour marks a triumphant return for the band following a severe health scare for frontman Vince Neil. The group recently completed a successful Las Vegas residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM, which ran from September 12 through October 3, 2025. Those performances were originally scheduled for the spring of 2025 but had to be pushed back after the singer suffered a stroke around Christmas 2024.
While the band initially cited a vague “medical procedure” for the postponement, Vince Neil later opened up about the situation in September 2025. The frontman revealed that he had actually experienced a series of strokes leading up to a major episode on Christmas night, which left him completely unable to get out of bed the following morning. Now recovered, the singer is ready to bring the band’s iconic stage show back to arenas and amphitheaters across the country.
