Remember When Lauren Alaina Almost Dropped Out of the ‘American Idol’ Finale?

It was high drama leading up the finale of 'American Idol' two years ago. Scotty McCreery was the favorite to win, but eventual runner-up Lauren Alaina almost never made it to the stage. Up until the last moment, it was rumored she'd be replaced by Haley Reinhart, the third place singer who'd been eliminated a week earlier. 

Maybe Fox was just looking for a new angle to spice up the predictable finale, or maybe the 'Like My Mother Does' singer was truly in jeopardy of giving up her spot after blowing out a vocal cord (according to a doctor Ryan Seacrest consulted).

"I'm here, I'm ready to sing, and I'm fine. Don't worry about it," Alaina said when asked about her malady.

Later, she'd reveal what kept her singing that night. “I went on vocal rest, drank lots of tea, had medical assistance and most of all, prayed about it,” Alaina said, proving her grit.

She proceeded to knock her three performances out of the park, arguably out-singing McCreery on this particular night. If Reinhart was truly waiting in the wings, she was never called on to pinch-hit. The deep-voiced teen won the season, and in reality, Alaina would have likely had as much success finishing third as she did second. Reinhart was a somewhat polarizing singer, so it's doubtful she would have topped McCreery.