Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood performing during her Carnival Ride tour on Oct. 30, 2008.

Birth name : Carrie Marie Underwood

Born : March 10, 1983 Muskogee, Oklahoma

Origin : Checotah, Oklahoma, United States

Genre(s) : country pop

Ocupation : singer-songwriter

Instruments : vocal, piano, guitars

Website : www.carrieunderwoodofficial.com

American Idol

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 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.

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.