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Early Life

Carrie Marie Underwood was born March 10th, 1983, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, United States. Her father, Stephen, worked in a saw mill while her mother was an elementary school teacher and she has two older sisters, Shanna and Stephanie. The three girls were raised on the family farm in the rural town of Checotah, Oklahoma. During her childhood, Underwood performed at various talent shows and local fairs while also singing at the Free Will Baptist Church in Checotah. She graduated from Checotah High School in 2001 as salutatorian. After high school, she attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, graduating magna cum laude in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in mass communication and an emphasis in journalism. She also competed in numerous beauty pageants at the university and was selected as Miss NSU runner-up in 2004.

Career Highlights

In the summer of 2004, Underwood auditioned for the fourth season of American Idol in St. Louis, Missouri. She was selected as one of the twenty four contestants to compete on the fourteen week show during which time she performed a range of hit songs including "Piece of My Heart" by Janis Joplin, "Independence Day" by Martina McBride and "Crying" by Roy Orbison. During her performance on the March 22, 2005, Idol episode, Underwood sang a rendition of the # 1 1980s rock hit "Alone" by Heart and judge Simon Cowell predicted that Underwood would not only win the competition, but she would also go on to outsell all previous Idol winners. Underwood was crowned the winner on May 25, 2005. The following month she released her first single, "Inside Your Heaven", which debuted at # 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian Singles Chart.

Carrie Underwood's debut album, Some Hearts, was released on November 15th, 2005, entering the Billboard 200 chart at # 2 behind Madonna's Confessions On A Dance Floor, selling more than 315,000 copies in its first week. Some Hearts also made it to #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. The album's second single, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" was released on October 18th, 2005. It debuted at #39 on the Billboard Country Chart in its first week. It eventually reached #1 for six consecutive weeks and peaked at # 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's third single "Some Hearts", originally recorded by Marshall Crenshaw for his 1989 album Good Evening, was released the same month to pop and adult contemporary radio in the United States. "Don't Forget to Remember Me", her fourth single was released in March 2006 and peaked at # 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

"Before He Cheats" was released as the next single, and climbed the charts faster than any of Underwood's other singles, making it into the top twenty of the Hot Country Songs chart before the release of a music video. "Before He Cheats" subsequently peaked at # 21 on the Hot Country Songs chart for five consecutive weeks, and at # 8 on the Hot 100. The song proved to be a huge crossover hit and won two awards at the 50th Annual Grammy Award (Best Country Song & Best Female Country Vocal Performance). "Wasted", the last single released from the album, also proved another successful hit peaking at #1 for three consecutive weeks on the Hot Country Songs chart, and #37 on the Hot 100. Some Hearts was the highest selling country album in the U.S. in both 2006 and 2007. The album, now certified 7x Platinum, is the best selling debut album of a female country artist of all time.

Underwood's second album, Carnival Ride, was released on October 23, 2007. "So Small" served as the lead single for the album and debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs at #20. It eventually held the #1 spot for three weeks. It also became her fifth top twenty hit when it peaked #17 on U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The second single, "All-American Girl", was released in December. It also reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs, where it stayed there for two weeks, and peaked at #27 on the Hot 100. On May 19, 2008, Underwood opened the 43rd Annual Country Music Association Awards with her new single, "Last Name", and later went on to win top Female Vocalist for the second consecutive year. "Last Name" peaked at #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart and reached #19 on the Hot 100. The fourth single, "Just a Dream", also topped the country charts in November and reached #29 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. In February 2009 Underwood released her cover version of Randy Travis's, "I Told You So", charting at #9 on the U.S Billboard Hot 100. It also hit #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Carrie Underwood Discography

Albums

2005 Some Hearts | 2007 Carnival Ride

Singles

2005 "Inside Your Heaven", "Jesus, Take the Wheel", "Some Hearts" | 2006 "Don't Forget to Remember Me", "Before He Cheats" | 2007 "Wasted", "So Small" | 2008 "All-American Girl", "Last Name", "Just a Dream" | 2009 "I Told You So"

Trivia

• Carrie was named Oklahoman Of The Year for 2005.
• After winning the fourth season of American Idol she starred in several Hershey's commercials singing the jingles for the various candy bars the company makes.
• In 2005 and in 2007, She was named PETA's "World Sexiest Vegetarian".
• Prior to her appearance on American Idol, Carrie had never been on an airplane.
• In October 2008, she unveiled at wax figure of herself at Madame Tussauds in New York.
• She appeared with the other six American Idol winners at the inauguration of The American Idol Experience at Walt Disney World in Florida in February 2009.

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