American Idol 2005 "Carrie Underwood"

Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American country pop singer and songwriter. She rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, and has become a multi-platinum selling recording artist and a multiple Grammy Award winner. Her debut album, Some Hearts, was certified seven times platinum and
is the fastest selling debut country album in Nielsen SoundScan history. Some Hearts yielded three number one hits on the Billboard Country charts in the United States and Canada: "Jesus, Take the Wheel", "Wasted", and her biggest hit to date, "Before He Cheats", and the #2 hit "Don't Forget To Remember Me". Her debut album is also the best-selling solo female debut album in country music history.

Her second album, Carnival Ride, was released on October 23, 2007.

It has so far sold over 2.7 million records, and has produced four number one country hits, "So Small", "All-American Girl", "Last Name", and "Just a Dream". Underwood's Christmas single, "Do You Hear What I Hear?" peaked at number two on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts. Her current single, released in 2009, is "I Told You So". This is her fifth single from her number one album Carnival Ride. Aside from her vocals, Underwood's success is attributed to what many fans recognize as her wholesome image. As of February 2009, Underwood has sold over 9.3 million albums in the United States. Underwood was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on May 10, 2008. In February 2009, Carrie Underwood received her first "Entertainer of the Year" nomination for the 2009 ACM Awards. This is her first nomination for this category from any award show she's participated and/or been nominated in.

In March 2009, Underwood recorded Motley Crue's "Home Sweet Home" as the 'Goodbye Song' for the American Idol (Season 8) castoffs. The song is played during their goodbye video post-elimination. Underwood also released the song as a single on iTunes.

Carrie Marie Underwood was born to Stephen and Carole Underwood in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and was raised on her parents' farm in the rural town of Checotah, Oklahoma.She is of Scottish descent and she has two older sisters, Shanna and Stephanie. Her father, Stephen, worked in a paper mill while her mother was an elementary school teacher.

During her childhood, Underwood had performed at Robbins Memorial Talent Show while also singing at the Free Will Baptist Church and later on for local events in Checotah, including Old Settler's Day and the Lion's Club. In 1996, she was in the process of getting a contract with Capitol Records, but the deal was canceled when the recording company's management changed.

Underwood 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. 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. During the top 11 finalists' performance on the March 22, 2005, Idol episode, Underwood sang a rendition of the number one 1980s rock hit "Alone" by Heart and judge Simon Cowell predicted that Underwood would not only win the competition, but she would also outsell all previous Idol winners. Underwood is one of five winners never to have been voted in the bottom three (the others being Kelly Clarkson Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, and David Cook); one of the show's producers later said that Underwood dominated the voting, winning each week handily. While on the show, Underwood gained a loyal fan base known as "Carrie's Care Bears." Coincidentally, 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.

Underwood appeared on the sixth season of American Idol. She sang her single "Wasted" on March 8, making this her fourth time performing on the show since winning the competition in 2005. Underwood also performed at the Idol Gives Back concert singing her new song, "I'll Stand By You", (a cover of the Pretenders hit) along with Kelly Clarkson, Rascal Flatts, and others. Underwood sang the same song at American Idol's season finale on May 23, 2007. Underwood sang "Praying For Time", a former number one for George Michael, during the seventh season American Idol Gives Back mini-marathon. She also came back to perform "Last Name" on May 21, 2008, for the finale of the seventh season of American Idol. She returned again for season 8 on Wednesday, March 18 to perform a duet with Randy Travis with her latest single "I Told You So", a song Randy Travis wrote for his 1987 album Always & Forever.

On February 12, 2009, Underwood appeared with the other six American Idol winners at the inauguration of The American Idol Experience at Disney World in Florida. Carrie and the other Idol winners received a microphone-shaped trophy honoring them for winning American Idol. Underwood also took the stage to sing her hit single "All-American Girl" as well as perform a duet of "Go Your Own Way" with fellow winner David Cook.