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. 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.
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 was selected as the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame's rising star in 2005.
Since that time she 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".[4] 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, which she subsequently won on April 5th. 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.
She beat Kenny Chesney to win "Entertainer of the Year" in 2009.