Carrie Underwood

American Idol made her famous and she has just begun to win award after award.  Country singer, Carrie Underwood seems to have become a multi-platinum artist over night.  Actually, her album, Some Hearts was declared quintuple platinum and the fastest selling country album in history.

Winning American Idol was just the first step for Carrie, now she has set a record for the top sold debut album in all of the American Idol contestants and winners.  Underwood is on her way to victory and she truly deserves it.  She has won an American Music Award, five Billboard Music Awards and last night she picked up two Grammy Awards.  

Carrie grew up in the small town of Checotah, Oklahoma.  She sang regularly in her church and at the age of 13 years old, her manager at that time tried to get her a recording contract with Capitol Records, but the contract fell through.  Carrie eventually graduated as salutatorian in 2001 from Checotah high School and went right off to Northern State University where she would get her bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication.

During her college years, Underwood was a member of the Alpha Iota (Sigma Sigma Sigma) sorority and competed in several beauty pageants.  In 2004 she was selected as runner up for Miss NSU.  While she attended school, she had performed twice, two years in a row at the Northeaster’s Downtown Country Show in Tahlequah.        

Presently, Carrie Underwood lives in Franklin, Tennessee.  Her debut album, Some Hearts released November 15, 2005.  The album entered the Billboard 200 chart with 315,000 copies sold in the nation.  In the albums first week, it was #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums.  Radio stations aired Carrie’s first single, Jesus Take the Wheel on October 18, 2005.  Within the songs first week, it debuted on the Billboard Country Chart as #39, which had set an ultimate record.  Jesus Take the Wheel eventually reached #1 on the Billboard Country Chart for 6 consecutive weeks.       

Her music has inspired people all over the world. Her songs have continued to soar in the charts and she has amazed everyone except, Simon Cowell of course.  We will be listening to her music for years to come.  Her music has not only reached countdowns for country music, but also for Christian countdowns as well.  Jesus Take the Wheel won the award for best country single of the year by the Gospel Music Association.        
 
Underwood loves singing live at her concerts, especially when she is playing the guitar.  She is a skilled guitar player and loves to perform with her guitar.  She has played the guitar at performances on hits like, Don’t Forget To Remember Me and Inside Your Heaven.  Carries role model is Martina McBride and she has looked up to her since she was little.  On one episode of American Idol, Underwood sang Martina McBride’s version of Independence Day and on Carrie’s first album, Independence Day is one of that songs that she sings.       

Carrie is a giver and supports the troops in Iraq one hundred percent.  She performed at the USO Christmas Tour to bring holiday cheer during some hard times around the holiday season.  She is a vegetarian and a lover for animals and any chance she gets she spends time with her family and animals on the farm.