Carrie Underwood Early life

Early life
Carrie Marie Underwood was born to Stephen and Carole Underwood in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and was raised on her parents' farm in rural Checotah, Oklahoma. She has two older sisters, Shanna (born 1970) and Stephanie Underwood Shelton (born 1973). Underwood had performed at Robbins Memorial Talent Show in her childhood. As a young child, she sang in church, and for Old Settler's Day and Lion's Club, local events in Checotah. In 1996, when Underwood was 13, her manager at the time tried to get her a recording contract at Capitol Records. However, due to management changes at Capitol, it never materialized.[citation needed]

Underwood graduated from Checotah High School in 2001 as salutatorian.[citation needed] After high school, she attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah. She graduated magna cum laude in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in mass communication and an emphasis in journalism. Underwood is a member of the Alpha Iota chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. For two years during the summer, she performed in Northeastern's Downtown Country show in Tahlequah. She also competed in numerous beauty pageants at the university and was selected as Miss NSU runner-up in 2004.


American Idol
Main article: American Idol (Season 4)
In the summer of 2004, Underwood auditioned for American Idol in St. Louis. On March 22, 2005, Underwood sang a rendition of the number one 80's rock hit "Alone" by Heart and judge Simon Cowell predicted that Underwood would not only win the competition, but would outsell all previous Idol winners. Underwood was the second winner never to have been voted in the bottom three. 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, beating out Bo Bice.

Underwood appeared on the sixth season of American Idol, where she sang her single "Wasted" on March 8. This was 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. She also sang "Praying For Time", a former number one for George Michael, at the 2008 American Idol Gives Back mini-marathon.


American Idol songs
Semi-Finals 1 "Could've Been" Tiffany Safe
Semi-Finals 2 "Piece of My Heart" Janis Joplin Safe
Semi-Finals 3 "Because You Love Me" Jo Dee Messina Safe
Top 12 "When Will I Be Loved" Linda Ronstadt Safe
Top 11 "Alone" Heart Safe
Top 10 "Independence Day" Martina McBride Safe
Top 9 "Hello Young Lovers" Deborah Kerr Safe
Top 8 "Love Is a Battlefield" Pat Benatar Safe
Top 7 "MacArthur Park" Donna Summer Safe
Top 6 "When God-Fearin' Women Get the Blues" Martina McBride Safe
Top 5 "Trouble" Elvis Presley "Bless the Broken Road" Rascal Flatts Safe
Top 4 "If You Don't Know Me By Now" Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes "Sin Wagon" Dixie Chicks Safe
Top 3 "Crying" Roy Orbison "Making Love out of Nothing at All" Air Supply "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" Shania Twain Safe
Top 2 "Inside Your Heaven" Carrie Underwood/Bo Bice "Independence Day" Martina McBride "Angels Brought Me Here" Guy Sebastian Safe
Finale "Inside Your Heaven" Carrie Underwood/Bo Bice Winner