- 2007
A Badass Underwood Reigns
Underwood's music video for "Before He Cheats" earns her three awards at the CMT Music Awards. In the video, country music's sweetheart wears black leather and smashes her cheating boyfriend's sports car with a baseball bat. In 2008, she wins a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal for the hit single.
A Dating Idol?
Underwood leads a rowdy rendition of the '80s classic "We're Not Gonna Take It" at Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo's 27th birthday party. She tells Cosmopolitan that she isn't in a serious relationship and hasn't been in one since she split with college boyfriend Drake Clark in 2005: "I'm not saying I want to get married tomorrow, but I'd like to have someone other than my mom to call when I have good news."
Cosmo Cover Girl
Underwood graces the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine, and is frank about her visible drop in dress size post-Idol. "I gained weight on the show, but I didn't starve myself afterward," she tells the magazine. "I've tried to be healthy and exercise as much as I can. If that made me lose weight, I guess I needed to." But she does admit that women come up to her on the street and tell her to eat something. "The music business is about packaging," she says. "People have to be pleased by what they see on TV or they'll change the channel." A week later, country music's darling makes her first appearance on PEOPLE's Most Beautiful list.
Three ACMs with a Side of Romo
Underwood, 24, takes home Album of the Year, Top Female Vocalist and Video of the Year for "Before He Cheats" at the 42nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. "I would not be here if it were not for American Idol," she says in her acceptance speech. "Thank you, fans. God bless you." And who was at her side? None other than her main man, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.
Carrie's Carnival Ride
To promote her sophomore release Carnival Ride, Underwood talks to EW about the end of her and Romo (she's currently linked to Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford) and her battle with Nashville. Of her detractors who criticize her for not singing "real" country music, she says, "I've learned this, that haters wanna hate. You could sing a song perfectly, you could write the songs perfectly, and some people are absolutely going to hate you." Carnival Ride sells 527,000 copies in its first week, scoring Underwood her first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Carrie Wins Big at CMAs
For the second year in a row, Underwood wins two big honors at the 2007 CMA Awards, repeating as Female Vocalist of the Year and nabbing Single of the Year for "Before He Cheats." "God has blessed me with so many wonderful things in my life, and I will spend my entire life trying to figure out why," Underwood says after beating out Reba McEntire and other veterans for the vocalist award. "If you had told me a few years ago I would have been nominated with the people that I have been nominated with, I would have called you absolutely insane."
- 2008
Carrie & Chace Make Most Beautiful
After going public with her breakup with Crawford – it was over text message! – Underwood (and her former flame) land on PEOPLE's Most Beautiful list. "I feel more beautiful when I see the pictures after," Underwood tells PEOPLE about being nervous at red carpet events. That month, Underwood also takes home the trophy for Top Female Vocalist for the second consecutive year at the 2008 Academy of Country Music Awards.
Photo Credits
BIOGRAPHY (top to bottom): WENN; Scott Gries/Getty; INF
- Name
- Carrie Underwood
- Birth Date
- March 10, 1983
- Birth Place
- Muskogee, Oklahoma
- Heart Monitor
-
Chace Crawford, ex-boyfriend (2007 to 2008)
Tony Romo, ex-boyfriend (2006 to 2007)
Drake Clark, ex-boyfriend (2004 to 2005)
