Watch Deaf Country Fan Duet With Carrie Underwood
Viral star Savannah Dahan performs live with her idol.
Eight-year-old Savannah Dahan shot into the spotlight this spring with an awe-inspiring cover of Carrie Underwood’s empowered anthem, “The Champion” featuring Ludacris, stealing hearts by using American Sign Language (ASL) to bring the hit’s lyrics to life. And now she’s had a chance to perform with the star herself.
Over the weekend Dahan — who is deaf — attended Underwood’s Cry Pretty Tour 360 in Washington, D.C., but this time she turned her ASL version of “The Champion” into an impromptu duet.
“Savannah! You bring so much joy to #TheChampion! Thank you for such a special moment last night in D.C.,” Underwood wrote in a video posted to Facebook.
“It was the best day of my life!!! It was amazing meeting you, and thank you for taking the time to meet with me and learn some signs,” Dahan replied. “You are truly a role model for all of us! I hope we can sign and sing together again soon! Have a great rest of the tour!”
After the original video of Dahan performing the track went viral, the Maryland native spoke with Good Morning America about her love of Underwood’s music. Dahan’s whole family is deaf, she explained, so they appreciate how expressive the superstar is on stage and in front of a camera. “I love her songs because it is easy to understand and her expressions are clear,” Dahan said.
Underwood’s Cry Pretty Tour 360 continues through October 31 in Detroit, Michigan, and she’ll join Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire to co-host this year’s CMA Awards on November 13. Meanwhile, Dahan is still putting a sign-language spin on her idol’s hits.
