Ladies in Music Alphabet--Carrie Underwood

Carrie Marie Underwood was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma to Stephen and Carole Underwood. She and her two older sisters were raised on a farm in Checotah, Oklahoma. Carrie's father was a sawmill worker. Her mother was an elementary school teacher. She performed at Robbins Memorial Talent Show, and sang at the Free Will Baptist Church. Carrie graduated from high school in Oklahoma as salutatorian. She attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, with a bachelor's degree in mass communication. She competed in numerous beauty pageants at the university, and was selected as Miss NSU runner-up in 2004.

Underwood auditioned for American Idol in St. Louis, Missouri in the summer of 2004. When she finished singing "Could've Been", judge Simon Cowell said she would be one of the favorites to win the competition. Simon predicted that she would not only win the competition, but she would outsell all previous Idol winners. Carrie Underwood was crowned the winner of the fourth season of American Idol. She had gained a loyal fan base known as "Carrie's Care Bears".

Underwood returned to American Idol on several occasions to perform. She has always been a big part of the Idols Give Back.

Underwood's debut album, "Some Hearts," was released in 2005, entering the Billboard 200 chart with 315,000 copies sold. "Some Hearts" has since been certified septuple Platinum by RIAA. Most of the singles from this album hit the top of the charts across the country music world. Carrie Underwood was nearing the top rung on the ladder of success.

Both "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and "Don't Forget to Remember Me" have earned spots on the Christian radio countdown. "Before He Cheats" hit number one on Billboard's Hot Country Songs staying for several weeks.

In 2006, Carrie won the Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award, and won 5 awards at the Billboard Music Awards. At the Academy of Country Music awards in 2007, she was featured on Saturday Night Live.

Carrie released "Wasted" in 2007 which continued her streak of top country music singles. Its video debuted at No 2 on the GACTV Top 20 Countdown. She won Video of the Year, Female Video of the Year, and Video Director of the Year, all for "Before He Cheats". People magazine named "Before He Cheats" as the song of the year. Carrie was also named as Billboard's best country music artist of the Billboard year 2007.

Underwood took a break from her second album to take a trip to South Africa for American Idol's "Idol Gives Back" charity special.

"Jesus, Take the Wheel" was certified Platinum, and sold more than one million ringtones. This made Underwood the first country music artist ever to have two songs hit Platinum Master Tone status. The other song was "Before He Cheats".

The second album for Carrie was "Carnival Ride", released in 2007. By December of the same year, "Carnival Ride" was certified double platinum.

In the Disney movie "Enchanted", Underwood made a vocal performance with a song entitled "Ever Ever After".

Underwood started 2008 off with a tour with Keith Urban, called the "Love Pain and the Whole Crazy Carnival Ride Tour". This tour continued through April.

Carrie Underwood is currently the youngest member of the Grand Ole Opry. In 2008, during a performance at the Grand Ole Opry House, she was surprised by her idol Randy Travis, who sneaked up on her as she was finishing her version of his song "I Told You So". It was Garth Brooks who inducted her into the Grand Ole Opry.

In 2008, Underwood opened the 43rd Annual Country Music Association Awards with her new chart topping single "Last Name", and then won the top Female Vocalist for the second year in a row. Underwood was the first female country music artist to have two consecutive albums to release three number-ones since Shania Twain in 1998.

In 2008, Underwood joined several country/pop/rock singers to perform the anti-cancer campaign "Stand Up to Cancer".

Underwood hosted the Country Music Awards in 2008 along with country music star Brad Paisley. She earned the Female Vocalist of the Year award for the third consecutive time.

Carrie Underwood remains only the 2nd Female to win the Coveted "Triple Crown Award" from the Academy of Country Music. The first was Barbara Mandrell.

On June 22, 2010, Underwood is scheduled to perform a special benefit concert called "Nashville Rising" to help aid the Nashville flood victims. The concert is scheduled to be hosted by Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.

With a major win on the fourth season of American Idol, Carrie Underwood rose to fame. She has since become a multi-platinum selling recording country music artist. She also is a multiple Grammy Award winner, Grand Ole Opry inductee, three time Academy of Country Music Female Vocalist winner, and the Entertainer of the Year. She remains the only female country music artist to win back-to-back Academy of Country Music Awards for Entertainer of the Year (2009-2010)

It is no surprise that Carrie Underwood has achieved such triumphs in the country music field. After all, the name "Carrie" means "Melody; Song".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Underwood
http://www.name-meanings.com/search.php