Carrie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American pop country music singer who won the fourth season of American Idol. She has since become a multi-platinum selling recording artist. Her debut album, Some Hearts, was certified 6x platinum and is the fastest selling debut country album in Nielsen SoundScan history. Underwood is the first American Idol winner to sweep up honors at all three major music awards in the same awards show season (06-07), including a grand total of four American Music Award, five Billboard Music Awards, and two Grammy Awards (including Best New Artist).

Her album, Some Hearts, has yielded five number one hits to date on various charts in the United States and Canada, including "Inside Your Heaven," "Jesus, Take the Wheel", "Don`t Forget To Remember Me", her biggest hit to date, "Before He Cheats", and "Wasted." Carnival Ride, her newest album, released on October 23, 2007 became Underwood`s first #1 album and it has already produced a number one country hit, "So Small." In addition, Underwood scored another Top 10 Billboard hit with her charity single, "I`ll Stand By You", which sold over 300,000 copies in less than two weeks.

Early life
Carrie Marie Underwood was born to Stephen and Carole Underwood in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and was raised on her parents` farm in rural Checotah, Oklahoma. She has two older sisters, Shanna Underwood Means (born 1970) and Stephanie Underwood Shelton (born 1973); both are elementary school teachers in Oklahoma. Underwood had performed at Robbins Memorial Talent Show in her childhood. She is a member of Free Will Baptist Church.[citation needed] As a young child, she sang in church, and for Old Settler`s Day and Lion`s Club, local events in Checotah. At the age of 13 in 1996, her manager at the time tried to get her a recording contract at Capitol Records. However, due to management changes at Capitol, it never materialized.

Underwood graduated from Checotah High School in 2001 as salutatorian.[citation needed] After high school, she attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah. She graduated magna cum laude in 2006 with a bachelor`s degree in mass communication and an emphasis in journalism. Underwood is a member of the Alpha Iota chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority, For two years during the summer, she performed in Northeastern`s Downtown Country show in Tahlequah. She also competed in numerous beauty pageants at the university and was selected as Miss NSU runner-up in 2004.

American Idol
Main article: American Idol (Season 4)
In the summer of 2004, Underwood auditioned for American Idol in St. Louis. On March 22, 2005, Underwood sang a rendition of the number one 80`s rock hit "Alone" by Heart and judge Simon Cowell predicted that Underwood would not only win the competition, but would outsell all previous Idol winners. Underwood was the second winner never to have been voted in the bottom three. While on the show, Underwood gained a loyal fan base known as "Carrie`s Care Bears." Coincidently, she was in the same sorority (Sigma Sigma Sigma) as Linda Denham, the creator of the original Care Bears franchise.

On May 25, 2005, Underwood was crowned the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, beating out Bo Bice.

Underwood appeared on the sixth season of American Idol, where she sang her single "Wasted" on March 8. This was her fourth time performing on the show since winning the competition in 2005. Underwood also p

Post a Comment | View All Comments (8)