Carrie Underwood

The first country singer to win American Idol, Carrie Underwood grew up in the small town of Checotah, OK, and began singing with her church at the tender age of three.

Throughout her childhood, she also performed at functions for the Lion's Club and Old Settlers Day, eventually grading to festival gigs in several states.

Along with developing her singing, Underwood learned to play guitar and piano.

She graduated from high school as her class salutatorian and majored in mass communication at Northeastern State College with an eye on a career in broadcast journalism, but continued her singing career throughout her studies.

As a senior just a few credits short of her degree, Underwood heard about the auditions for the 2005 season of American Idol.

She tried out for the show at the St.

Louis, MO, auditions, and her innocent charm and pure, pretty voice ended up winning her not only a place among the 12 finalists, but the title of 2005's American Idol.

Her debut single, Inside Your Heaven, was released that summer, and she began recording her debut album after completing the American Idols Live! tour.

Some Hearts was released later that fall and became a smash hit, selling over 300,000 copies in its first week and eventually going platinum a whopping seven times.

The album's lead single, "Jesus, Take the Wheel," was also a big success, topping Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart for six weeks.

Acclaim for the album and single spilled over into 2006, when Some Hearts re-entered Billboard's Top Ten after Underwood's appearance on the 2006 American Idol finale.

Meanwhile, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" won Single Record of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards (where she also won Top Female Vocalist); a Dove Award from the Gospel Music Association; and Breakthrough Video and Best Female Video at the CMT Awards, making her the only double winner at the event.

Despite her hectic career as a country music star -- which included carrying her Some Hearts tour through the fall of 2006 -- Underwood found the time to finish her degree and become a spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (who named her 2005's World's Sexiest Vegetarian).

"Before He Cheats" was released as Underwood's third single late in 2006, and became her third country number one and her fourth total number one hit.

That December, she won five Billboard Music Awards: Album of the Year, Top 200 Female Artist of the Year, Female Country Artist, New Country Artist, and Country Album of the Year. Early in 2007, Underwood began work on her second album, while "Wasted" became the fourth single taken from Some Hearts; she performed it on an episode of American Idol that March, and the following month, it hit number one on the Hot Country Songs Chart.

Underwood gathered more accolades by winning three awards at the 2007 CMT Awards -- Video of the Year, Female Video of the Year, and Video Director of the Year for "Before He Cheats" -- and taking home two Grammys.

She also took home three 2007 ACM Awards in May, which included Album of the Year for Some Hearts and Top Female Vocalist.

She made another trip to American Idol late in the month for the sixth season finale, where she sang "I'll Stand by You" to a standing ovation.

During the show, Clive Davis recognized Underwood's sextuple-platinum sales; Underwood was the first country artist to sell that many copies of a debut album since LeAnn Rimes' Blue in 1996.

She also appeared on Brad Paisley's album 5th Gear, which was released in June 2006.

Riding on that swell of support, Underwood released the sophomore effort Carnival Ride in October 2007.

Four of the album's tracks hit the top of the country charts, pushing the album to multi-million sales and earning her an additional Grammy Award.

Two years after the album's release, Underwood released her third studio effort, Play On, which found her devoting more focus than ever to her songwriting abilities.

She co-wrote seven of the album's tracks, including the leadoff single, "Cowboy Casanova." ~ Heather Phares, Rovi

Carrie Underwood became a vegetarian because she didn't want to eat the animals she grew up with on her farm.

(BANG) -

Carrie Underwood became a vegetarian because she didn't want to eat her pets.

The country singer grew up on a farm with lots of animals and decided when she was just 13 she didn't want to feast on meat because she couldn't stand the thought of the animals being killed.

She said: "I'm a vegetarian because I love animals. I grew up on a farm and they were all my pets! So the thought of me or someone else eating my pets kind of freaked me out at a young age."

Carrie admits she is obsessed with staying healthy because she wants to live a long and healthy life and is paranoid about damaging her body with bad food.

She added to the new issue of Women's Health magazine: "I'm the most normal person in the universe, but I'm very health conscious. I love working out. I love taking care of myself. We only have one body apiece and it's going to expire sometime, and I'm going to make sure it's a long, long time from now."

The 27-year-old actress has twice been named the World's Sexiest Vegetarian by PETA and is such an ardent supporter of animal rights she once said: "If you told me I could never sing again, I'd say that was horrible, but it's not my life. If you told me I could never be around animals again, I would just die."

Carrie Underwood is making sure her wedding is completely private - by booking out all 251 rooms in a small hotel in Greensboro, Georgia.

(BANG) -

Carrie Underwood has booked out an entire hotel for her wedding.

The country music singer - who has been engaged to Canadian hockey player Mike Fisher since December 2009 - has reserved the entire Ritz-Carlton Lodge in the small community of Greensboro, Georgia, at a price of $268,000 a night for her nuptials tomorrow (10.07.10).

Carey Williams, editor of the Herald Journal in Greensboro, revealed: "She has blocked off all 251 rooms at the hotel. Carrie will be flying in by helicopter today (09.07.10)."

Rooms at the Lodge cost between $300 and $1,500 a night, and for $4,000 a night guests get VIP use of a nearby lake and the 18th green on the golf course.

Carrie and Mike will spend their first night together as husband and wife in the Presidential House.

It comes complete with four master suites, a gourmet kitchen, a private pool and lounge and a recreation room.

Guests began arriving at the exclusive venue on Wednesday (07.07.10) for the event, which is rumoured to be costing in excess of $500,000.

The 27-year-old singer is believed to have secured exclusive rights with a weekly magazine to publish the photographs of her big day.

A source said: "Carrie wants to keep the wedding small and secret. She originally wanted up to $2 million for the photo rights, but she's now believed to have struck a deal with a weekly magazine."

Country music star Carrie Underwood is reportedly set to marry ice hockey player Mike Fisher in a secret ceremony tomorrow (10.07.10).

(BANG) -

Carrie Underwood is to marry in a secret ceremony tomorrow (10.07.10).

The country singer - who has been dating Ottawa Senators ice hockey player Mike Fisher since 2008 - is said to be keeping the location of the nuptials under wraps from even the guests until the very last minute.

A source revealed to the New York Post newspaper: "Carrie wants to keep the wedding small and secret. She originally wanted up to $2 million for the photo rights, but she's now believed to have struck a deal with a weekly magazine."

The 'Jesus, Take The Wheel' hitmaker - who got engaged to the sportsman last December - has reportedly told guests to go to an airport in a southern city in the US, where they will then be taken to the top secret site by private jet or limousine.

Carrie recently revealed she was too tied up with work commitments to put too much thought into organising her impending wedding.

She said: "There's a lot going on. They are still in the season. They actually only have a few more season games left. I'm touring until the end of June, and have a few shows in July, so we're working on it here and there. We have a few things coming along."