Carrie Underwood’s Heartfelt Tribute to Robin Kaye and Thomas Deluca: A Night of Music, Memory, and Love

In the wake of a heartbreaking tragedy, the music world continues to mourn the loss of American Idol music supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband, musician Thomas Deluca. But in a quiet, candlelit room in Nashville, Carrie Underwood offered a moment of comfort — not with words, but with song.

Gathered among close friends, colleagues, and fellow Idol alumni, Underwood picked up her guitar and delivered a deeply moving acoustic version of “I Told You So” — the Randy Travis ballad she famously performed on American Idol and later recorded as a duet with Travis himself.

This wasn’t a performance for cameras or crowds. It was personal. Intimate. Her voice, bare and trembling with emotion, seemed to reach straight from her heart to the souls of everyone present.

“This one’s for Robin and Tom,” she said softly. “I hope they’re listening.”

Her rendition felt like a conversation with two beloved friends — one final song to say what words couldn’t. The lyrics, about love, loss, and longing, took on new meaning in the quiet space, as many in the room wiped away tears.

More Than Industry Icons — They Were Heart and Soul

Robin Kaye wasn’t just a music supervisor; she was the emotional compass behind some of Idol’s most unforgettable performances. Friends say she had a rare ability to hear the soul of a song — and to help artists find theirs.

Her husband, Thomas Deluca, was a lifelong musician and songwriter. His 2022 album Street Rock was a love letter to the music that shaped him. Married for over 40 years, the two were described as inseparable — “creative soulmates” whose love for music was matched only by their love for each other.

A Loss That Stunned a Community

The couple’s lives were tragically cut short on July 10 when, according to police, a 22-year-old intruder, Raymond Boodarian, entered their Encino home during a burglary. When Robin and Tom unexpectedly returned, a violent confrontation ended in both of their deaths. Authorities say there was no known connection between the suspect and the couple.

The shocking loss has rippled through the entertainment world. Fans have begun leaving flowers and heartfelt notes outside their home, and a candlelight vigil is planned in Los Angeles later this week.

A Song That Said What Words Couldn’t

Carrie Underwood didn’t give a speech that night. She didn’t try to make sense of the senseless. Instead, she did what Robin and Tom had spent their lives doing — she let the music speak.

“They gave so much,” Underwood later shared. “This was the least I could do.”

And in that quiet room, lit by candlelight and filled with grief, her voice gave everyone present something they desperately needed: a moment to feel, to remember, and to hold onto the love that Robin and Tom left behind.

Because sometimes, the simplest tribute — one voice, one guitar, one song — can be the most powerful of all.