Lauren Alaina is happy and healthy and she's headed back into the recording studio. The "American Idol" season 10 runner-up is on the road to a full recovery after recently undergoing surgery on her vocal cords.
The 20-year-old singer released her debut album, "Wildflower," in 2011, debuting at No. 2 on Billboard's Hot Country Albums chart. But a growing problem with her vocal cords had her doctor so concerned that he was afraid she might eventually have to cancel tour dates if she didn't have surgery, reports Taste of Country.
"I had to do it," she tells ABC News Radio. "There was really no other choice for me."
"I just started singing again, and I can still do that, so that's great news," she shares. "'Cause I was scared to death, but I'm gonna start recording here in the next couple months and try to get everything out."
The bubbly young rising star was not allowed to speak at all for eight days, but that wasn't the end of her restrictions.
"Eight days after that I could talk for five minutes a day, which, you might as well just not talk at that point," she says. "I mean, what are you going to say in five minutes? Have you met me?"
Alaina kept the surgery secret until Oct. 9, notes Taste of Country, when she attended the Nashville premiere of 'The Best of Me,' based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks. The film and its soundtrack both feature music from a number of the top acts in country, including Lady Antebellum, Thomas Rhett and Kacey Musgraves.
