Carrie Underwood: Snapshot
- Name
- Carrie Underwood
- Birth Date
- March 10, 1983
- Birth Place
- Muskogee, Oklahoma
But with her megawatt smile and powerful country vocals, Underwood beat rocker Bo Bice in the finale, and transformed into a Grammy-winning superstar in two short years. Her debut album Some Hearts even helped her beat country music's reigning queen Faith Hill in the awards race, with Hill controversially screaming 'What?' at a backstage camera.
At 24, Underwood, who has been linked to Dallas Cowboys' Tony Romo and Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford, solidified her place in country with her first No. 1 album, Carnival Ride, right after winning two of Nashville's biggest honors (for the second time) at the 2007 CMA Awards. In 2008, after going public with her breakup with Crawford, Underwood – and her former flame – landed on PEOPLE's Most Beautiful list.
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Carrie Underwood: Five Fun Facts
- Carrie Underwood was first runner-up in the 2003 Miss Northeastern State University pageant. Although she didn't take the crown, she did win the talent competition.
- During her American Idol audition, Carrie Underwood revealed that she had her third nipple removed. "It just looked like a mole," she told the judges.
- Carrie Underwood's American Idol fan base calls themselves "Care Bears" and toss stuffed bears onstage while she's performing.
- Carrie Underwood was voted the "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" in an online poll by PETA in 2005. She shared the honor with Gwyneth Paltrow's hubby and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.
- Carrie Underwood sang jingles in Hershey commercials but all of the chocolate on-set was too much temptation. "You know, I'm fighting a losing battle here: I'm trying to lose some weight," Underwood told the Chicago Tribune.
Carrie Underwood: Biography 
- 1980s
An Oklahoma Gal
Underwood, the youngest of schoolteacher Carole and paper-mill operator Stephen's three daughters, grows up in Checotah, Okla., population 3,500. She started singing in church, school plays and local talent shows. "People look at me like I must be a country bumpkin," Underwood tells Parade in 2006. "I'll do interviews, and everybody's like, 'Oh, ha-ha, do you milk cows? Did you have chickens?' I've never milked a cow in my entire life."
- 2004
Simon's Favorite
While an undergrad at Oklahoma's Northeastern State University, Underwood auditions for the fourth season of American Idol in St. Louis, Mo. She impresses the judges (Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson) with her rendition of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me," earning a spot to compete in Hollywood. Mr. Nasty himself, Cowell, later predicts that the 21-year-old will win the contest and sell more records than anyone in Idol history.
- 2005
Becoming America's Fourth Idol
Underwood wins the fourth season of American Idol, beating Alabama rocker Bo Bice. Approximately 30 million viewers tune in and more than 500 million votes are cast throughout the season with Underwood winning by a slight margin. "I think it came down to all the people who live in towns like mine or who think it might be nice to," Underwood tells PEOPLE.
Photo Credits
Top Left: Larsen & Talbert
BIOGRAPHY (top to bottom): Fox; Fox; Landov
