Carrie Marie Underwood was born March 10, 1983 and is an American country singer who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol.


Carrie Underwood was born either at Muskogee Regional Medical Center or at home, in Muskogee, Oklahoma and raised in her parents' farm ranch in rural Checotah, Oklahoma.


At the age of 13, Carrie Underwood's manager at the time tried to get a recording contract at Capitol Records, but due to management changes at Capitol it never materialized.


Carrie Underwood graduated from Checotah High School in 2001 as salutatorian. Carrie Underwood attended Northeastern State University, where she majored in journalism and mass communication; and is a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. She also competed in numerous beauty pageants at the university and was selected as Miss NSU runner-up in 2004.


Carrie Underwood has two older sisters, Shanna and Stephanie, born in 1974 and 1971.


Carrie Underwood's musical influences include pop, but are predominantly country; she stated during Idol auditions that her favorite singer is Martina McBride. On the April 20 elimination show, Carrie Underwood demonstrated her ability to play the guitar. She can also play piano and yodel, the latter of which was demonstrated on the Tonight Show the night after she won.


After singing Martina McBride's "Independence Day" Simon Cowell said he couldn't believe no one has discovered her yet.


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."

Follow up:

Simon Cowell went on to say on the March 30 show that she has the

"it factor" that will make her a star.

On her last song of the night in the final two, Carrie's performance of "Angels Brought Me Here" had Simon saying,

"I think you've done enough to win the competition."

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.