Category Archives: Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood's Rainbow BabyThe first country vocalist to win American Idol, Carrie Underwood grew up in the small town of Checotah, OK, and started 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 attempted 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 started recording her debut record after completing the American Idols Live! tour. Some Hearts was put forth 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 material chart for six weeks.

Carrie Underwood emerged from the promise of her 2005 American Idol win to become a true multi-format, multi-media superstar, spanning achievements in music, television, film, and as a New York Times bestselling author and successful entrepreneur.  She has sold more than 64 million records worldwide, recorded 27 #1 singles (14 of which she co-wrote), and has seven albums that are certified Platinum or Multi-Platinum by the RIAA, all while continuing to sell out arena tours across North America and the UK.

In September, Carrie released her eighth album, My Gift, her first-ever Christmas album, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country, Christian and Holiday charts in its first week and marked her eighth straight release to debut at #1 on the Billboard Country chart. My Gift also debuted #1 on the UK country chart (her fifth #1 on the chart) and #1 on the Canadian country chart. Additionally, HBO Max began streaming “My Gift: A Christmas Special From Carrie Underwood” in December, an exclusive, all-new musical holiday special, with Carrie performing songs from My Gift with a full orchestra and choir.  She recently announced her next album, My Savior, which will feature beloved gospel hymns and will be released around the Easter holiday.  She starred as Maria von Trapp in NBC’s Emmy®-winning blockbuster, The Sound of Music Live!, hosted the CMA Awards for 12 consecutive years and returned last Fall for her eighth season as the voice of primetime television’s #1 program, NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

Underwood has won over 100 major awards including 7 GRAMMY® Awards, 15 ACM Awards including three for Entertainer of the Year (the first female in history to win twice and, as of 2020, the only female ever to win three times), 22 CMT Music Awards where she continues to hold the record for the most award wins ever for the show, 7 CMA Awards, and 15 American Music Awards with her 7th win for Favorite Female Artist – Country and 6th win for Favorite Country Album for Cry Pretty, breaking the AMA record for Most Wins in the Favorite Country Album Category. Carrie is a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry and is the most followed country artist on Instagram and most followed female country artist on Twitter, Facebook and TikTok.

She has built a successful business portfolio inspired by her passion for health and fitness.  She is founder/lead designer for her fitness and lifestyle brand, CALIA by Carrie Underwood, which was launched in 2015.  In March  2020, HarperCollins/Dey Street books published Carrie’s first book, FIND YOUR PATH: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul, and Get Strong with the Fit52 Life, a fitness lifestyle book in which she shares her belief that fitness is a lifelong journey, providing a common-sense approach to staying active, eating well, and looking as beautiful as you feel, 52 weeks a year.  That same month, Carrie also launched her new fitness app, fit52, which is a holistic wellness platform designed to encourage and support users on their personal wellness journey with constantly evolving and updating workout “paths,” available on the App Store and on Google Play. In January 2021, she expanded her lifestyle portfolio with an equity partnership with BODYARMOR LYTE Sports Drink.

Southern Country Music VS All the Other Country Music

Posted on by

I’m from Long Island, the New York State Eastern land mass appendage which feels like a Country Music black hole. I say that because, typically, country music acts avoid Long Island like the plague. We haven’t had our own country music radio station since 1987 and our last big act to play on the Island was in the Summer of 2009 when Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert appeared at our main outdoor beach theater. Heck, we were lucky to get Chesney’s 3-D movie in local theaters! But this Friday, November 5th, Carrie Underwood’s “Play On” tour rides into town with Billy Currington and Sons of Sylvia in saddlebags. So while watching our local news, a newscaster who was reviewing this weekend’s upcoming events mentioned the concert. Then another newscaster commented (regarding Carrie Underwood) , and I quote, “I’m not a Country Music fan but I like her songs.” That got me thinking. What is it about Carrie Underwood that they like, but dislike about country music? Is it the twang? The Southern drawl? Which artists are they considering country music artists? The newscaster mentioned identifies Carrie Underwood as a country artist, but on Long Island she is in standard rotation on our Top 40 and AOR radio stations – as are Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum. Now country music purists have been up in arms over the country crossover artist claiming that it dilutes the genre (maybe why there are so many sub categories in iTunes?) And I’ve argued, what makes the crossover artists country if they sound more Pop than country? The only commonality I can come up with, is that they are (mostly) from the South and are all on Nashville record labels. Then I got to thinking about the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Charlie Daniels Band. They are not considered “Rock”, they are “Southern Rock.” A-ha! So I think yet another music genre needs to be created. One that separates the country crossover artists from the “country” label, yet identifies their music as Nashville or Southern oriented. Maybe something like Country Pop or Southern Pop. Everyone’s happy. What do ya’ll think? Keeping it Countriversy, Jim Nash V. Jim Nash V is a contributing writer with a passion for country music. Jim works to promote line dancing and country music in Long Island New York. For more on Jim, find him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jim.nash.vafeas or visit www.YeeHawLI.com.Country Music Photo Gallery

2010 CMA Awards Preview

Posted on by

This week CMNB is giving our platform over to the Country Music Association! All week long Country Music News Blog is giving you an inside look at what goes on in the Country Music Association! Award show preparations, artist interviews, community resources and more.. find out what the Country Music Association done for YOU lately! We all know the CMA’s offer a coveted handful of awards each year for country music’s top performers, but stay with us this week as we teach you more about what else the Country Music Association does for the music community and fans!Country Music Photo Gallery

Stagecoach 2011 With Carrie Underwood!

Posted on by

California’s favorite country music festival, Stagecoach, returns for its fifth year and brings Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood along for the ride! Stagecoach Music Festival is back in 2011, and has just released their artist lineup! Traditionally as the festival gets closer, more artists sign on, so stay tuned for updates! As it stands now, here is the 2011 Stagecoach Country Music Festival Lineup! Stagecoach 2011 Headliners: Darius Rucker Carrie Underwood Kenny Chesney Rascal Flatts Loretta Lynn Stagecoach 2011 Support: Josh Turner Leon Russell Easton Corbin The Gatlin Brothers Mel Tillis Rodney Crowell Wanda Jackson Rhonda Vincent Chris Young Ricky Skaggs Steel Magnolia Introducing at Stagecoach 2011: The Secret Sisters Stealing Angels Truth & Salvage Co. The Punch Brothers Phosphorescent The Cleverlys Sara Watkins Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real Rosie Flores The Gourds The Stagecoach Music Festival in going on five years running, and features both new and established artists in the country music market. The festival is held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA and will run from April 30th-May 1.

Full List of 2010 CMA Performers

Posted on by

We have your full line-up of CMA Performances, which now include Taylor Swift! The CMA’s are almost upon us, and Country Music News Blog has your FULL list of performers! Now we’re still getting last minute additions every day, so check back often to get updates! 2010 CMA Performers: * Dierks Bentley * Kenny Chesney * Lady Antebellum * Miranda Lambert * Brad Paisley * Reba * Rascal Flatts * Blake Shelton * George Strait * Sugarland * Carrie Underwood * Keith Urban * Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson * Taylor Swift * MORE TO COME Join hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood as the Country Music industry comes together Wednesday, Nov. 10, for “Country Music‘s Biggest Night™” LIVE from Nashville‘s Bridgestone Arena.Country Music Photo Gallery

Carrie Underwood – Mama’s Song – Video

Posted on by

Enjoy this heartfelt video from Carrie Underwood featuring her own Mama. Carrie Underwood gives a special thank you to her mother in the video for her newest single, “Mama’s Song“. In this song penned by Carrie’s own hand, she gives her mama credit for the romance she’s found with new husband Mike Fisher. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpFW4Yhy08k&ob=av2e]Country Music Photo Gallery

Country Music on iTunes

Posted on by

Country, Country Pop Rock, Country, Classic Country, Oldies, Nostalgia or Country, Top 40, Pop? If you use iTunes to purchase / organize your music, you may be familiar with the Genre column which allows you to assign a song as a particular Genre to assist in categorizing, sorting or creating playlists for your music. iTunes has 39 Genres available to choose from, including None, Custom and Unclassifiable (?), but what struck me as interesting is that there are 4 Genres for Country – the only Genre with more that 1 Genre choice. These Genres include “Country”, “Country Pop Rock”, “Country, Classic Country, Oldies, Nostalgia” or “Country, Top 40, Pop”. Has Country music become so diversified musically that 4 Genres are necessary? Would Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood be classified as Country Pop Rock or Country, Top 40, Pop? How about Lady Antebellum or Zac Brown Band? How about Jason Aldean? Blake Shelton? How would these artists be classified? Veterans like George Strait and Alan Jackson, who still come out with new releases but have a “classic sound”, are they just Country or “Country, Classic Country, Oldies, Nostalgia”? You would think with all these Genres it would make it easy to search for “Country Pop Rock” music within the iTunes store, but that is not the case. In fact the top result for that search is the band Big Country. Anyone have any thoughts or am I the only one confused by this? Keep it Country, Jim Nash V. Jim Nash V is a contributing writer with a passion for country music. Jim works to promote line dancing and country music in Long Island New York. For more on Jim, visit YeeHawLI.comCountry Music Photo Gallery

Carrie Underwood 2010 Fall Tour Dates

Posted on by

Carrie Underwood is back in action as she announces a stunning 47 fall tour dates to close out 2010! Carrie Underwood is heading back out on the road as she extends her 2010 Play On tour to 47 additional dates. Stops will include the legendary Hollywood Bowl and finish off in Calgary, Alberta. Adding a philanthropic element to the tour, Underwood will donate 36 cents of every ticket sold to Save the Children’s United States Programs. This initiative was inspired by the “36 cents” written in the lyrics of her album track “Change,” which addresses how even the smallest bit of spare change that one might have can add up to make a difference and help “change” the world. Special guests on the tour include Billy Currington, who is hot off the release of his new album “Enjoy Yourself” and Sons of Sylvia, who I personally believe will give Rascal Flatts a run for their money over the next few years. Fall 2010 Carrie Underwood “Play On Tour” dates: September 25 Portland, OR Rose Garden September 27 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion at San Jose September 28 Stockton, CA Stockton Arena September 29 Bakersfield, CA Rabobank Arena October 1 San Diego, CA San Diego Sports Arena October 2 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl October 3 Glendale, AZ jobing.com Arena October 6 Houston, TX Toyota Center October 7 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center October 9 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center October 10 Tulsa, OK BOK Center October 12 N. Little Rock, AR Verizon Arena October 13 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena October 15 Moline, IL i Wireless Center October 16 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center October 17 Omaha, NE Qwest Center October 19 Wichita, KS INTRUST Bank Arena October 20 Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center October 22 Memphis, TN FedExForum October 23 Mobile, AL Mobile Civic Center October 25 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum October 26 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena October 27 Duluth, GA Arena at Gwinnett Center October 29 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum October 30 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena November 1 Cleveland, OH Wolstein Center November 3 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre November 5 Long Island, NY Nassau Coliseum November 6 Manchester, NH Verizon Wireless Arena November 12 Roanoke, VA Roanoke Civic Center November 13 University Park, PA Bryce Jordan Center November 15 Newark, NJ Prudential Center November 16 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena November 29 Auburn Hills, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills December 1 St. Louis, MO Chaifetz Arena December 2 Evansville, IN Roberts Stadium December 4 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena December 5 Sioux Falls, SD Sioux Falls Arena December 7 Rapid City, SD Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Ice Arena December 8 Casper, WY Casper Events Center December 10* Bismarck, ND Bismarck Civic Center December 12 Bozeman, MT Brick Breedan Fieldhouse December 14 Yakima, WA Yakima Valley SunDome December 15* Penticton, BC South Okanagan Events Centre December 16 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena December 18 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place December 19 Calgary, AB Continue reading Carrie Underwood 2010 Fall Tour Dates→

Carrie Underwood makes Mamma’s Song count

Posted on by

Carrie Underwood includes a VIP in her new video: Her Mamma. Carrie Underwood is set to reveal the new video for her next single, “Mamma’s Song” Friday morning on VEVO, but a big detail about the video has already been released. Carrie’s special guest on the set and screen is none other than her own mother! As the song tells the story of a young girl setting out on her own path to success, it mirrors the life-changing events in Carrie and her mother’s relationship, and was written by Carrie Underwood herself. Fans can hear Underwood perform “Mama’s Song” and many more of her mega-hits in concert on the “Play On Tour” which kicks off its fall leg this Saturday in Portland, Oregon at the Rose Garden Arena. The tour will play 47 cities before wrapping December 19 in Calgary, Alberta. By the close of this leg, Underwood will have performed over 100 dates on the “Play On Tour” in 2010.Country Music Photo Gallery

Carrie Underwood Press Conference Letdown

Posted on by

Carrie Underwood makes a big hooplah about Olay? Carrie Underwood fans weren’t exactly thrilled with this morning’s press conference, and probably for good reason. After her obvious snub from the 2010 CMA’s, fans were expecting a new tour announcement, a new single, or even a simple statement congratulating the other nominees and wishing them the best. Heck, some even expected announcements of a baby to complete her year of family growth. Instead, they’re getting a commercial for cosmetics. That’s right, Carrie Underwood is holding a press conference to announce that she is endorsing Olay products, and will be their first “Celebrity Ambassador”. I think I will hold a press conference… in it I will announce that I prefer Folgers French Roast coffee, Subway over Quizno’s, and Dodge over Ford… Apparently commercial endorsements are the only thing press conference-worthy for Carrie this fall? Country Music Photo Gallery

CMAFest 2010 Preview

Posted on by

Take a sneak peek at what to expect from the 2010 CMAFest which airs Sept 1st! CMA Fest is coming Wednesday Sept 1st on ABC but you can get a sneak peek right here at Country Music News Blog! [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY5tfIEqMD4] Stay tuned as ABC packs four days and nights of country music into a single 2-hour special! Highlights of the show will feature Taylor Swift’s performance of “Mine”, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood’s hosting finesse, and much more!