Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American country singer and songwriter from Checotah, Oklahoma. She rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol. She has since become a multi-platinum selling recording artist, a multiple Grammy Award winner, was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, and is the reigning Academy of Country Music Awards Entertainer of The Year.

Her debut album, Some Hearts, was certified seven times platinum, is the fastest selling debut country album in Nielsen SoundScan history. and is also the best-selling solo female debut album in country music 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 second album, Carnival Ride, was released on October 23, 2007. It has so far sold over 2.9 million copies, and produced four number one country hits on the Billboard Country charts, "So Small", "All-American Girl", "Last Name", and "Just a Dream", and the #2 hit "I Told You So." Underwood has sold over 9.8 million albums in the United States.

Underwood is set to release her third album, Play On, on November 3, 2009. Her first single on the album, "Cowboy Casanova", was released to country radio on September 14, 2009.
Early life

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 has two older sisters, Shanna and Stephanie, and is a member of Muskogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma.[citation needed] Her father, Stephen, worked in a saw 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. She has said in recent interviews that after hearing the hit Clay Walker song, "Then What?", she knew a career in country music was her calling.
American Idol
Main article: American Idol (season 4)

In the summer of 2004, Underwood auditioned for American Idol in St. Louis. After Underwood sang "Could've Been" by Tiffany on the top 12 girls night, judge Simon Cowell commented that she would be one of the favorites to win the competition. 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 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." On May 25, 2005, Underwood was crowned the winner of the fourth season of American Idol.

Underwood came back the next season of American Idol to perform her single "Jesus Take The Wheel". She also 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. Underwood was back again on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 to perform her latest single and the farewell song of Season 8, "Home Sweet Home".

On February 12, 2009, Underwood appeared with the other six American Idol winners at the inauguration of The American Idol Experience at Walt 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.