Carrie Underwood

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Carrie Underwood winning the fourth season of American Idol

Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10 1983) is an American singer who has risen to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol.

Raised in the farm town of Checotah, Oklahoma, she graduated in 2001 as salutatorian from Checotah High School. Underwood attended Northeastern State University, where she majored in mass communication and was a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority.

Underwood's musical influences range from pop to country; she stated during Idol auditions that her favorite singer is Martina McBride. On the April 20 elimination show, Underwood demonstrated her ability to play the guitar. On the March 22 show, after a performance of Heart's "Alone", Simon Cowell said, "Carrie, you're not just the girl to beat, you're the person to beat. I will make a prediction, not only will you win this competition, but you will sell more records than any other previous 'Idol' winner!" [1] He went onto say on the March 30 show that she has the "it" factor that will make her a star.

On May 25, 2005, she became the fourth winner of American Idol, beating Southern rocker Bo Bice, and she joins Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken as the only contestants who have never been one of the "bottom three" singers during any week's results.

As part of her title, Underwood gains a recording contract with Arista Records; her first single, "Inside Your Heaven," is scheduled for release on 14 June 2005. The B-side is "Independence Day," a cover of the Martina McBride hit.

List of Carrie Underwood's performances on American Idol

Auditions and Pre-Performance Rounds

• St. Louis Auditions - "I Can't Make You Love Me" (Original Artist: Bonnie Raitt)
• Hollywood 1 - "Independence Day" (O.A.: Martina McBride)
• Hollywood 2 - "Young Hearts (Run Free)" (O.A.: Candi Staton)

Live Performances

• Semi-Final Performance 1 (Women Top 12) - "Could've Been" (O.A.: Tiffany)
• Semi-Final Performance 2 (Women Top 10) - "Piece Of My Heart" (O.A.: Faith Hill's version of Janis Joplin's classic)
• Semi-Final Performance 3 (Women Top 8) - "Because You Love Me" (O.A.: Jo Dee Messina)
• Finals Top 12 Performance (Songs of the 60's) - "When Will I Be Loved" (O.A.: The Everly Brothers)
• Finals Top 11 Performance (Billboard #1's) - "Alone" (O.A.: Heart)
• Finals Top 10 Performance (Songs of the 90's) - "Independence Day" (O.A.: Martina McBride)
• Finals Top 9 Performance (Broadway Musicals) - "Hello Young Lovers" (O.A.: Johnny Mathis)
• Finals Top 8 Performance (Songs from Contestants' Birthyear) - "Love is a Battlefield" (O.A.: Pat Benatar)
• Finals Top 7 Performance (70's Dance Music) - "MacArthur Park" (O.A.: Donna Summer's version of Richard Harris' hit)
• Finals Top 6 Performance (Songs of the 21st Century) - "When God Fearin' Women Get The Blues" (O.A.: Martina McBride)
• Finals Top 5 Performance 1 (Leiber and Stoller Songs) - "Trouble" (O.A.: Elvis Presley)
• Finals Top 5 Performance 2 (Billboard top 40) - "God Bless The Broken Road" (O.A.: Rascal Flatts' version of Marcus Hummon's "Bless the Broken Road")
• Finals Top 4 Performance 1 (Nashville Songs) - "Sin Wagon" (O.A.: The Dixie Chicks)
• Finals Top 4 Performance 2 (Gamble and Huff Songs) - "If You Don't Know Me By Now" (O.A.: Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes)
• Finals Top 3 Performance 1 (Clive Davis' choice) - "Crying" (O.A.: Roy Orbison)
• Finals Top 3 Performance 2 (Performer's choice) - "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" (O.A.: Air Supply)
• Finals Top 3 Performance 3 (Judges' choice) - "Man, I Feel Like a Woman" (O.A.: Shania Twain)
• Finals Top 2 Performance 1 (new song written for AI) - "Inside Your Heaven"
• Finals Top 2 Performance 2 (favorite from season) - "Independence Day" (O.A.: Martina McBride)
• Finals Top 2 Performance 3 (song originally written for Australian Idol) - "Angels Brought Me Here" (O.A.: Guy Sebastian)
• Final Results Show (duet with Bo Bice) - "Up Where We Belong" (O.A.: Jennifer Warnes and Joe Cocker)
• Final Results Show (performance with Rascal Flatts) - "God Bless The Broken Road"
• Final Results Show (post-win performance of first single) - "Inside Your Heaven"

External links

• American Idol official website Underwood's information on show website
• Carrie Underwood Fans
• Carrie Underwood Fansite
• Carrie Underwood Online
• Carrie Underwood Wins 'American Idol' The first article published after her win. (Posted at 9:57 PM)