Who is Carrie Underwood?
Carrie Underwood is a well-known singer who gained popularity after winning Season 4 of American Idol. Her success continued with her debut album Some Hearts (2005), which achieved multi-platinum status. Throughout her career, Underwood has earned various acclaimed awards, including Grammy, Country Music Association (CMA), and Academy of Country Music (ACM) awards. In 2008, she was inducted into the prestigious Grand Ole Opry. Since then, she has been a regular co-host of the CMAs alongside Brad Paisley. Underwood has established herself as a prominent figure in the country music scene.
QUICK FACTS
Name: Carrie Underwood
Birth Year: 1983
Birth date: March 10, 1983
Birth State: Oklahoma
Birth City: Muskogee
Birth Country: United States
Gender: Female
Best Known For: Carrie Underwood became famous after winning Season 4 of ‘American Idol’ in 2005 and has since become one of the top-selling artists in country music.
Industries
Music
Film
Astrological Sign: Pisces
Schools
Northeastern State University
Interesting Facts
Carrie Underwood, at the age of 26, became the youngest member to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2008, joining the iconic lineup of singers.
Childhood and American Idel Win
Carrie Marie Underwood, born on March 10, 1983, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and raised on a farm, had a happy childhood filled with simple pleasures. Growing up in the countryside, she enjoyed playing on dirt roads, climbing trees, catching woodland animals, and singing, as she mentioned on her website.
After completing high school, Underwood enrolled at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, where she pursued a major in broadcast journalism, temporarily putting aside her aspirations of becoming a singer. However, during her senior year in 2004, Underwood took a chance and decided to audition for the popular TV show American Idol. Not only did she impress the judges in that audition, but she also went on to win the fourth season of the show.
‘Some Hearts’ and its Commercial Success
Carrie Underwood’s debut album, Some Hearts, released in 2005, achieved incredible commercial success. It quickly became multi-platinum and earned the distinction of being the fastest-selling female country album since the introduction of the Nielsen SoundScan in 1991. The album’s lead single, “Inside Your Heaven,” soared to the top of the Billboard pop charts, solidifying Underwood’s position in the music industry.
Following the success of her first single, Underwood released “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” which achieved similar triumph on the country charts. The song not only gained popularity, but it also garnered critical acclaim. It won Underwood the prestigious ACM and CMA awards for Single of the Year and also earned her Grammy awards for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best New Artist.
Underwood’s success was not limited to her softer-sounding songs. One of her notable achievements was with the release of “Before He Cheats,” a song about a cheating ex-boyfriend. This single earned her a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and a CMA Award for Single of the Year in 2007. In the same year, Underwood also released her next album, Carnival Ride, which quickly climbed to the top of the album charts. The album included several No. 1 country hits such as “Last Name” and “All-American Girl.”
Youngest Inductee of the Grand Ole Opry
Carrie Underwood, at the age of 26, became an inductee of the prestigious Grand Ole Opry on May 10, 2008. The induction ceremony was conducted by country music legend Garth Brooks, making Underwood the youngest member to be inducted into the renowned institution. Later that same year, in September 2008, Underwood received the coveted Female Vocalist of the Year award at the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards for the third consecutive time, thanks to her album Carnival Ride. Although she was also nominated for Album of the Year, she lost out to George Strait. Furthermore, Underwood embarked on a long-lasting tradition by co-hosting the CMA Awards alongside fellow country artist Brad Paisley.
“Play On” and “Blown Away”
In February 2009, Carrie Underwood won a Grammy Award for her song “Last Name,” making it her fourth Grammy win in three years. In November 2009, she was nominated for two more awards at the CMAs – Female Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year.
A few weeks before the CMAs, Underwood released her third studio album, Play On. The album featured three chart-topping tracks: “Cowboy Casanova,” “Temporary Home,” and “Undo It.” The album was a success and paved the way for her next album, Blown Away, which was released in May 2012. By the following year, Blown Away had sold over 1.4 million copies. Some of the album’s hits include “Blown Away,” “Good Girl,” and “Two Black Cadillacs.”
Additional Ventures
In May 2013, it was announced that Carrie Underwood would be taking over from Faith Hill as the performer of the weekly Sunday Night Football theme song, “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night.” She also continued her television work by portraying Maria in the live broadcast of The Sound of Music alongside Stephen Moyer from True Blood. The TV event followed the original 1959 musical more closely than the 1965 film version starring Julie Andrews and received four Emmy nominations.
To commemorate her successful career, Underwood released Greatest Hits: Decade #1 in the fall of 2014. The album not only included her greatest hits but also featured new tracks such as the Grammy-winning “Something in the Water” for Best Country Solo Performance. In the autumn of 2015, she released her fifth studio album, Storyteller, which featured the popular country single “Smoke Break” that reached the Top 5. Underwood commenced the Storyteller tour in February 2016.
Carrie Underwood announced in May 2017 that she would be honored with induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. The country singer expressed her pride in being from Oklahoma and credited the people, culture, and environment of the state for shaping her into the person she is today. The official ceremony was scheduled for November, shortly after Underwood’s return to co-host the CMA Awards with Brad Paisley for the 10th consecutive year.
In 2021, Underwood released her debut gospel album titled “My Savior,” which went on to win the Best Gospel Album category at the 2022 Grammys.
Accident and Comeback
On November 10, 2017, two days after the CMAs, Carrie Underwood had a frightening incident when she fell outside her home. Her publicist stated that the singer was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of a broken wrist, cuts, and abrasions. Despite her injuries, Underwood updated her fans on November 12, saying, “Thanks so much for all the well wishes everybody. I’ll be alright… might just take some time… glad I’ve got the best hubby in the world to take care of me.”
However, in a message to her fan club members at the beginning of the new year, Underwood disclosed that the injury was more severe than initially reported. The “cuts and abrasions” on her face actually required 40 to 50 stitches. She wrote, “I am determined to make 2018 amazing, and I want to share my journey with all of you. When I am ready to be back in front of a camera, I want you all to understand why I might look slightly different.”
The first photo of Carrie Underwood after her accident was shared in December 2017 by her former castmate, Adrienne Gang from Below Deck. The photo showed the two posing together at the gym. In April 2018, Underwood finally released a new photo of herself. The black-and-white image was taken in a recording studio, and she did not provide a caption.
On April 15, Underwood made her highly anticipated comeback at the ACM Awards. Despite the traumatic incident, her face showed little signs of what she went through as she delivered a powerful performance of her new song, “Cry Pretty.” Her performance received an extended standing ovation from the audience. Still visibly emotional, Underwood returned to the spotlight moments later to join Keith Urban in accepting the Vocal Event of the Year Award for their song, “The Fighter.”
Family Life
Carrie Underwood, the famous singer, married professional hockey player Mike Fisher on July 10, 2010. In September 2014, the couple shared the delightful news that they were expecting their first child. Their son, Isaiah Michael Fisher, was born on February 27, 2015, and Underwood shared the news of his arrival on Twitter.
On August 8, 2018, Underwood happily announced that she was expecting her second child with Fisher. She expressed her excitement, saying, “Mike, Isaiah, and I are absolutely over the moon and thrilled to be adding another member to our family.” Their second son, Jacob Bryan, was born on January 21, 2019.
Quotes
I was fortunate to have a joyous childhood filled with the simple pleasures that children adore. Being raised in the countryside, I relished in activities such as playing on dusty roads, scaling towering trees, capturing elusive woodland creatures, and, naturally, singing.
Amos Mctague
Insightful piece