Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American country singer and songwriter from Checotah, Oklahoma. She rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol. She has since become a multi-platinum selling recording artist, a multiple Grammy Award winner, was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, and is the reigning Academy of Country Music Awards Entertainer of The Year.
Her debut album, Some Hearts, was certified seven times platinum, is the fastest selling debut country album in Nielsen SoundScan history and is also the best-selling solo female debut album in country music history. Some Hearts yielded three number one hits on the Billboard Country charts in the United States and Canada: "Jesus, Take the Wheel", "Wasted", and her biggest hit to date, "Before He Cheats", and the #2 hit "Don't Forget To Remember Me."
Her second album, Carnival Ride, was released on October 23, 2007. It has so far sold over 2.9 million copies, and produced four number one country hits on the Billboard Country charts, "So Small", "All-American Girl", "Last Name", and "Just a Dream", and the #2 hit "I Told You So." Underwood has sold over 9.8 million albums in the United States.
Underwood is set to release her third album, Play On, on November 3, 2009. Her first single on the album, "Cowboy Casanova", was released to country radio on September 14, 2009.
In 2009, Underwood was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.