Carrie Underwood: Chasing Faith (article from the music edge)

http://www.themusicedge.com/moxie/news/featartist/carrie-underwood-letting-.shtml

On the road and away from home, soft-spoken Carrie Underwood laughs as she recalls her embarrassing moment of the day: falling off the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade float in front of The Click Five during rehearsal. “I felt really dumb, but I laughed really hard about it, and so did they, so it all turned out fine,” she says. Discussing life in the fast lane, superstardom, and the roller-coaster ride of emotions and experiences taking hold of her in the aftermath of American Idol, she celebrates the release of her debut album, Some Hearts, and graciously thanks everyone for the opportunities she’s been given. Anticipating spending time with her family for the holidays and enjoying the Thanksgiving feast waiting for her at home, we casually chat over the phone as she looks forward to her performance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

After high school Carrie, a Checotah, Okla. native, traveled from her humble upbringing to Northeastern University where she studied Mass Communications. With her plans carved out in one direction and hopes of a career in media looming on the horizon, fate quickly revealed a different path for Carrie in music. Armed with her mom and a beautiful voice, she hopped on a plane to tryout for American Idol. Carrie quickly captured the hearts of the judges and of America, as the down-to-earth, country young woman won American Idol in May of 2005, and began the next step of her career as a pop/country singer.

Signed to Arista Records, Some Hearts, featuring the hits “Jesus Take the Wheel,” “Some Hearts” and “Inside Your Heaven” collectively creates a warm blend of ballads built on country influences and life themes, with a healthy mix of catchy pop and radio-friendly songs. Carrie’s song compilation ranges from her experiences in love, her transformation from the country to the city, and the pangs and rewards of discovering herself. Some Hearts lays it all on the table and showcases a compassionate Carrie wearing her heart on her sleeve. With Some Hearts debuting at #2 on the charts (falling #2 to Madonna’s latest release) and selling close to 315,000 copies within the first week, clearly Carrie has touched more than just “some hearts.”

As for the songs on the album itself, listening to “Jesus Take the Wheel,” is enough to bring a tear to your eye and cause you to reconsider if what you do in life truly counts. “Lessons Learned” hits home for anyone who has experienced tough “growing pains” and been grateful for the hand life has dealt them (taking in the bad with the good), whereas the slightly more twangy and backup-vocal influenced “Before He Cheats” gives the listener a glimpse at the side of Carrie you would never want to cross, as the lyrics are laced with revenge and satisfaction. In the end, Some Hearts is a keepsake album for any music lover. Sure, some of the piano sequences sound a little formulaic, and for a moment it may feel predictable, but it might surprise you, as it gives the “American Dream” tangibility. As a fan of country music, I was taken aback and fell in love with the album. As a skeptic of American Idol, I was proven wrong, as now both Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson have already hit mainstream music full-steam ahead; the two female artists are attesting to be some of the purest and most talented female vocalists in the music scene today. Full of unifying stories and common emotions that bind humanity together, Some Hearts has definitely made its home in my CD player and won’t be leaving there anytime soon.

With her post-Idol resume continuing to grow, and a Skecher’s ad campaign under her belt, Carrie recently made it home with three Billboard Awards for 2005. She continues to generate buzz with her latest performance at the two-time Emmy nominated program “Christmas in Washington,” performing with Ciara and Rascall Flatts for the President, First Lady and other Washington, D.C., VIPs. As 2005 comes to a close, Carrie relays that she is just as pumped up about 2006 as she was about 2005, and looks forward to more success, more fun and more fans.

The Music Edge: So you started singing in church as a young child; how has your experience as a singer changed throughout the years?
Carrie: I mean, I did stuff like talent shows when I was younger; it was mostly a lot of local events, fairs and stuff like that, but it didn’t really go anywhere until I found American Idol.

TME: In addition to singing, you can also play the guitar. How old were you when you learned how to play?
Carrie: Right, I think I was a junior in high school when I started playing the guitar, and I’ve been playing ever since.

TME: Did you take lessons at school, or just learn on your own?
Carrie: I learned some on my own, and then I had a teacher for a couple of months that taught me the basics, and then it just developed into a hobby from there on out.

TME: I remember reading that you know how to yodel. That’s not a talent you hear of everyday—how did you learn how to yodel?
Carrie: I was in a musical group during college, and we did different-style shows over the summer, and for my first show they had me do “Cowboy Sweetheart,” which has yodeling in it, and I was like, “Oh, well guys, I don’t know if I can do that,” but I did, and I learned how to yodel, and it was a great experience.

TME: Sounds fun. So your favorite singer is Martina McBride—do you have any other favorites?
Carrie: Yeah, of course, I love Trisha Yearwood and Reba McIntire. I like Garth Brooks, and Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley—

TME: Oh I love Brad Paisley—
Carrie: (Giggles.) I know, isn’t he great?

TME: He sure is. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Carrie: I have a lot of those. I was fortunate enough to be raised in a family that listens to all different kinds of music, so I listen to oldies from my parents and people like the Bee Gees, and Creedance Clearwater Revival and the Rolling Stones. And then my sisters were quite a bit older than me, they were teenagers when I was little, so I caught the whole eighties hair band thing too. I mean, for myself, I of course listen to country music and everything that is popular now, and lots of rock music. I have a lot of influences—there are just too many to name off right now.

TME: What was the defining moment that made you decide to audition for American Idol?
Carrie: It was pretty much on a whim, kind of like why not? I even told my mom, “No, I don’t know, it’s too far away, it’s stupid, I won’t make it anyway,” and she was just like, “Carrie, seriously, if you want to go I’ll take you.” So we did it, and here we are.

TME: Wow. What was the selection process like?
Carrie: Long, very long. At first it was thousands of people, so we were just pretty much hauled everywhere like cattle, and as things got narrowed down it got a little more nerve-wracking, but it all turned out well in the end.

TME: I’d say so.
Carrie: Yeah, me too.

TME: Where do you find inspiration for your songs?
Carrie: Anywhere I can. Pretty much when I’m picking out songs, I’ll listen to one, and if it makes me feel something, then chances are it’s a good song.

TME: Do you have a specific song-writing process?
Carrie: Honestly, I don’t write that much myself. It’s definitely something I want to explore more and do more of in the near future, but things just kind of hit you, I think. I mean, you might be in a conversation and say something and be like, “Oh, that would be a good idea for a song.” I really think inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere.

TME: What was your recording experience for Some Hearts like?
Carrie: It was fun; I really like being in the studio. I feel at home there. It’s a really intimate experience, just because it’s just you in a studio singing, closed off from everyone.

TME: What advice would you give to aspiring young musicians?
Carrie: Most definitely take chances and risks, and follow your dreams. But also have a back-up plan. Make sure not to cheat yourself of an education because having an education is important. Have other things that you can do as well because that’s just a smart thing to do.
(this is an awesome piece of advice!)

TME: Sounds like good advice. What does making music mean to you?
Carrie: It’s really great; it’s a fulfilling way to express myself. I’ve got a pretty cool job. I love what I do.

TME: What did you want to grow up to be when you were little? Did you want to be a rock star when you were little?
Carrie: Probably if you had asked me what I had wanted to be, that’s what I would have said. As I got older though, my practical side told me everyone wants to do that, and very few people actually get the chance. So I did prepare for another future, which I don’t regret at all.

TME: Has American Idol changed you?
Carrie: I hope it hasn’t changed me too much. Of course my daily activities are different, but I still hope I’m the same friend, the same daughter and the same sister that I always was.

TME: Has your success changed your relationships at all with your friends and family?
Carrie: Yeah, I mean, it is difficult to be a good friend when you’re on the go so much, and my parents are constantly wondering what I’m up to. I think it’s been hard on my mom for me to be so far away, but we’re all coping.

TME: What was the most rewarding part of the experience?
Carrie: I found out a lot about myself throughout the experience. Especially being out now, I’m not ever alone; there are always people around me, people helping me. But I mean as far as being away from family, I’ve learned that I can be an independent person.

TME: Of course. Was there a most challenging part that came along with that?
Carrie: Same thing. Being away from home. Things are scary, especially being out and going so many places; you never know what is going to happen. I don’t know what’s going to happen next year, and I’m the type of person that likes to plan things out, so it’s been kind of difficult to just let go and go with the flow.

TME: What is in store for you next?
Carrie: There are a lot of different events coming up. We want to make sure people go out and buy my album, so we’re going out everywhere, and I’ve been on a lot of T.V. shows and stuff like that. Next spring we’re looking at who else is going on tour, to see who I could possibly be on a bill with. So, there’s a lot to look forward to, no time for slowing down now.

TME: What did you learn most from the experience?
Carrie: That I am the luckiest person ever. I mean cool things happen, and it’s all about taking chances and not being scared of what the future could hold. If you do that and follow your heart then everything can just fall into place just right, and you’ll be surprised at how things can turn out.

Carrie wins "Oklahoman of the Year" in Oklahoma Today

Thanks Lisa (OUcultjam) from pulse music boards for typing out this entire article, making it easy for people like me to copy and paste.

Article form Oklahoma Today

CARRIE ME HOME

Carrie Underwood of Checotah, Oklahoma’s favorite good girl, wins the nation’s modern-day equivalent of the Miss America pageant, American Idol, and becomes our 2005 Oklahoman of the Year.
By Kathryn Jenson White

When that cyclone swirled Kansan Dorothy Gale up, then plopped her down in Oz, she held trusty Toto in her arms. When Oklahoman Carrie Underwood threw herself into the whirlwind that landed her in the winner’s circle of American Idol, the then-twenty-one-year-old from just outside Checotah twirled alone, having left her cocker spaniel, Boston terrier, stray mutt, and two cats at home. Like fellow animal-lover Dorothy before her, Underwood had never – before becoming a contender – flown even in the more conventional way, on a plane.
The Northeastern State University mass communication senior soared above the other twenty-three vying vocalists on season four, brought down the house with “Inside Your Heaven,” “Angels Brought Me Here,” and “Independence Day,” and flattened the last man standing, Alabama native Bo Bice, in front of 30.0 million viewers on May 25, 2005.
Underwood never once landed in the voting bottom three, the first winner since Kelly Clarkson to achieve that. She never even walked close to the field of poppies that could have knocked her out during any of her fourteen televised competitions that began February 22, 2005.
While Underwood has had no Glinda to watch over her on the golden brick road, Judge Simon Cowell did wave his magic wand over her on March 22 by saying she was the one to beat and predicting she would sell more records than any previous winner. On March 30, he told her she had what it took to be a star. On May 25, the night she won, she proved him prescient. (The other judges actually were kind of witchy: Paula Abdul seemed consistently underwhelmed, and Randy Jackson called one of Underwood’s songs “pitchy.”)
Underwood’s first album, Some Hearts, released on November 15, 2005, to favorable feedback. Her first single, “Inside Your Heaven,” had debuted June 14, 2005, at number one on the Billboard hot 100, the first country song ever to do that, and sold 170,000 copies in its first week.
By mid-September, Carrie had sung to hundreds of fans during the summer 2005 forty-four-city American Idols Live! Tour; been hired by Hershey’s candy company and Skechers shoes as a spokesperson; yodeled on Jay Leno and appeared on The Today Show, The View, and Dr. Phil; performed her album’s first single at the CMA Awards show; been featured in People; and been booked to sing during Broadway Meets Country show at New York’s Lincoln Center.
George Lang, music critic and assistant entertainment editor at The Oklahoman, says if Underwood can survive the American Idol whirlwind, she could emulate Clarkson’s pop success in the country world.
“When the Hershey’s commercials come on, you watch them,” Lang says. “She has the kind of star magnetism to pull it off. She owns it. If you can shill for a company and make it look good, that’s pretty impressive. She also continues to win fans. She made a surprise appearance at the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame awards in Muskogee to accept her Rising Star award in October. She knocked out the crowd by being down to earth and heartfelt in her acceptance.”
Kelli Doolen, an NSU faculty member and director of Downtown Country, the university’s Branson-style country music review in which Underwood sang and danced for two years, has been a fan since Underwood first appeared as a guest performer while in high school. She says Underwood had stashed away an early dream of going to Nashville.
“She decided, I think, that it was overwhelming and just too difficult, so she decided to focus on getting a degree, making a career she could count on,” Doolen says. “The perfect Carrie story is that when she passed the second round of American Idol auditions, they told her she could do nothing else: ‘You can’t perform anymore,’ they said. ‘You are ours until this is over.’ We had our final show the next Saturday. She told them, ‘I have one more show. I can’t let these people down.’ A lot of people would have said American Idol was more important than our show. They finally told her, ‘What we don’t know won’t hurt us.’ She performed.”
Youngest of three sisters and daughter of a retired Georgia-Pacific employee and rancher, Steve, and a retired elementary school teacher, Carole, the beautiful blond has gone from singing “Jesus Loves Me” in Bible school to seeing her second single, “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” enter the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at number thirty-nine and climb to number twenty-three in three weeks. Both literally and figuratively, Carrie is not in Oklahoma anymore.
“It’s crazy, and it’s wonderful, and it’s exciting,” Underwood says. “There are a whole lot of adjectives I could use. The way I cope with everything is to have people around me who know what I’m doing a lot better than I do. Being away from my family and my friends and my animals, that’s hard. I get as much sleep as possible and try to take care of myself. You know, I’m twenty-two years old, so that helps.”
What also helps is a statewide support system spreading from the capital to Checotah to the college. In Oklahoma City, Governor Brad Henry declared May 18, 2005, Carried Underwood Day across Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation posted four roadside signs touting Checotah as Underwood’s hometown in August 2005.
“That month, I had the pleasure of presenting her with a replica of one of the signs in a ceremony at the Capitol,” Henry says. “Carrie’s parents were on hand for the event, as were many of her fans. It was a very touching moment. Carrie’s eyes filled with tears as she accepted the sign, and she talked about how much she loved Oklahoma and how glad she was to be home.”
Oklahoma City’s Magic 104.1 morning disc jockey Stacy Barton drove her listeners nuts, she says, with her obsessive Underwood support.
“The producers at American Idol probably have a checklist,” Barton says. “When they read Carrie’s bio, they probably felt the first tingle. Here’s a girl from rural Oklahoma who has never even been on a plane. Then they look up at the auditions and see her. ‘Holy cow,’ they’re thinking. ‘She’s as pretty as Faith Hill.’ Then she starts to sing, and they hear Martina McBride-level talent. She’s college educated. She knows how to work a camera because she’s majoring in broadcast. I bet they had to go outside and get air at one point. From a marketing standpoint, to have it all in one person is very rare.”
Meanwhile, back near the ranch, Checotah put up a billboard featuring its native daughter’s picture that said, “Checotah Says Reach for the Stars Like Our Own Carrie Underwood.” On May 13, 2005, when the competition was down to Underwood, Bice and Vonzell Solomon, the town with a population of 3,500 threw a winding of a parade. Mayor James Hayes estimates the crowd at anywhere from eight to ten thousand.
At the college, Underwood may have been gone, but she was out. When she became one of 100,000 hopefuls auditioning for American Idol in summer 2004, Underwood was about to enter her senior year. She made it through fall semester before fame whirled her away.
“Working with Northeastern, I’m finishing my degree,” Underwood says. “That is really important to me. I worked for three-and-a-half years to get that, and you never know what could happen tomorrow. I could, for some reason, never be able to sing again. Every parent wants to see their kid walk across that stage, especially when all their money has been going to put them through college.”
Northeastern president Larry Williams says Underwood’s professors have worked with her to create a degree completion program that will accommodate Underwood while meeting university requirements.
“Carrie will finish her last class and graduate in May 2006,” Williams says. “There was pressure to give her a degree. In fact, American idol demanded I do that. I said we would not. We are an academic institution, and we’re going to protect our academic integrity. More importantly, Carrie would never allow us to do that. She wanted to fulfill the requirements for graduation in all respects.”
The school held a Carrie watch-and-voting party each week of the competition with hundreds of fans from on and off campus attending, Williams says. On finale night, thousands of supporters gathered in the Civic Center in Muskogee, the city closest to Checotah and Tahlequah, to join the shout heard ‘round the state when Underwood won.
“She captured the hearts of all the people watching, just as she had done here,” Williams says. “When I first met her, she was coming off the farm. She was shy, but you looked at her, heard that voice, and knew she was going to be great.”
Williams knows the last verse in his song of praise in a profound way. When his mother-in-law was dying in 2003, Underwood, a hospice volunteer, spent many hours in the Williams home. Larry’s wife, Pam, thinks of Underwood not as the American Idol but as an American Ideal – someone who gives generously of herself.
“She came every Tuesday, faithfully, to let me go grocery shopping or perform my university duties,” Pam Williams says. “She did that for a whole year, two hours each week. That day was a gift not only to my parents – both of them loved her – but to me because it gave me breathing room.
“We were with her recently when she came into town. She’s the same Carrie, and we’re thrilled with that. She just wants everything to be the same. I said, ‘Carrie, you know, that’s probably not going to be possible ever again,’ She said, ‘Well, I’m going to do the best I can for it to.”
Underwood says she is enjoying all the magic of this storybook experience. However, she says she can’t help pining a bit for her four-legged and two-legged Oklahomies.
“I miss them all very much, and any opportunity I have to go home, I take it to see all of them,” she says. “Being from a small town, there was always this exciting world that’s happening everywhere, and I wanted to be a part of it. I always swore, honestly, ‘All right, I’m going to do all that stuff. I’m going to move out of Oklahoma and blah, blah, blah.’ Now that I am out of it, I want to go home. I guess the grass really is always greener. I learned how much I love it by being away.”
The first click of the ruby slippers is faintly audible as Underwood speaks.
Although her life is now controlled in large part by American Idol creator Simon Fuller’s 19 Entertainment and Arusta Records, even in a telephone interview monitored by her publicist and a representative of her label, Underwood’s sense of humor peeks through.
“For some reason, in Oklahoma, everybody waves when they’re driving down the road,” she says. “You know, they do the little you’ve-got-your-hand-on-the-steering-wheel-lift-your-finger thing.
Sometimes when I’m in some of these other places, I feel that is I smile at somebody, they are going to think, ‘What does she want?’ It’s not a bad thing. It’s just different. I’m sure if they came to Oklahoma, they would think, ‘Wow. These people are weird. They’re all talking to me. What’s up? Did that guy just flip me off?’”
Even with the lighter tone, is that a second heel click in the background?
Carole Underwood says family and friends have reveled in watching Underwood prove dreams that some dare to dream really do come true but never imagined anything like their current world. Underwood had local renown as a runner-up in two Miss NSU pageants and as a singer in church, talent shows, and Downtown Country, but not even the Great Wizard himself could have foreseen today’s Idol-atry.
“She’s always been very talented, and we’ve always believed in that talent, but when we made that trip to St. Louis to audition, none of us expected that this would happen,” Carole says. “She looked the audition schedule up on the Internet. I tried to talk her out of it. I was leery. I said, ‘Let’s wait until next year.’ She said, ‘No, by this time next year, I’ll have to have a real job.’”
A good sense of humor characterizes Carole Underwood and her other two daughters. Stephanie Shelton, ten years older than Carrie, and Shanna Means, thirteen years older, also laugh as they talk about what both called the “roller-coaster ride” of joys and challenges resulting from Underwood’s success.
“My parents had to have their phone number changed after thirty years at the same address,” Means says. “That was a major thing, actually. People would call in the middle of the night to tell Mother they had voted for Carrie. You want to be grateful because the audience put her where she is, but two o’clock in the morning is not an easy time for gratitude.”
The down-to-earth Underwoods try to take all the changes in stride, but that’s not always easy.
“We’re just small-town people,” Carole Underwood says. “We mow our yard and fill the holes the dogs digs. Sometimes when people are driving by my house and pointing and saying ‘That’s her house,’ I feel a little weird being out there filling in those holes.”
Steve Underwood is the stay-at-home dad who tends to the animals, while Carole has flown repeatedly to Los Angeles and Nashville – where Carrie was in the process of buying a house in November – to carve out small pockets of time with her daughter. Underwood says her heart still lives in Oklahoma, despite the title of another album song, “I Ain’t in Checotah Anymore,” on which she worked with writers Trey Bruce and Angelo to craft lyrics that specifically celebrate her roots.
“I want to say thank you to everyone,” she says. “Me being from where I’m from is a big part of my success. I think it’s so cool that I have this much support from ym home state. When I got to the top twenty-four, billboards went up, and people were writing on their car windows and sending me things for good luck.”
After considering for a moment what she would most want her fellow Oklahomans to say of her, she decides on “Carrie Underwood lives here.”
Did that soft click come from Underwood hanging up the phone, or was it the third touch of her ruby slippers’ heels? Underwood clearly has the heart, brain, and courage to go as far as she wants, but it seems no matter how beautiful Emerald, sorry, Music City is, there’s no place like Oklahoma.

SOME HEARTS WINS HEARTS
On November 15, 2005, Carrie Underwood’s first solo album, Some Hearts, dropped worldwide. On one memorable song, America’s newest country sweetheart sings about all the standards: love, cheatin’, and pool.
No. 1 with a bullet – actually, a key, a knife, and a Louisville Slugger – on Some Hearts is “Before He Cheats,” a revenge fantasy in which the singer keys and generally destructs the “little souped-up 4-wheel drive” of a boyfriend she imagines is doing’ her wrong.
The lyrics capture jealousy and honky-tonk cheatin’ behavior, from “Right now, he’s probably behind her with a pool stick, showing her how to shoot a combo,” to “Right now he’s probably dabbing on $3 worth of that bathroom Polo.”
Underwood sings the song convincingly. In her official bio, she includes this disclaimer: “I would like to say, however, that I do not condone the destruction of anyone’s property, and I have never, at any time, keyed anyone’s car.” When I asked Carrie to name the meanest thing she had ever done, she thought for a minute and then answered almost a little ruefully, “Nothin’.”

CARRIE MANIA
Emerging star Carrie Underwood has millions of fans. Keeping them satisfied is the aim of carrieunderwoodofficial.com, a label-sponsored site with Underwood media, ring tones, news, photos, and Carrie’s dulcet voice in the background.

THE PRICE OF FAME
Celebrity brings its own brand of chores.
In a matter of weeks, Carrie Underwood transformed from a fresh-faced farm girl in her senior year at a university close to home to the newest American Idol, instantly recognizable to millions of fans worldwide. Like all life-changing events, this one hasn’t come without a cost.
Celebrity has its pitfalls, and Checotah’s Carrie Underwood is well aware of what it can do to a girl’s attitude.
Underwood’s sisters, Shanna Means and Stephanie Shelton, both say the many Internet message boards in which adulation of Underwood is interspersed with acidic asides about her can get to them, too.
“While people can be supportive, they can also be downright mean,” Shelton says. “It made me mad many times last year. I wanted to tell them, ‘Look, you don’t even know her.’ I know they were rooting for someone else, but they might say, ‘She’s overweight.’ I’d think, ‘Overweight? Have you seen her?’ I’m sure everyone who starts out has to get a thicker skin. I don’t think it bothered her as much as it did me. Maybe.”
Underwood’s mom, Carole, says her daughter has a vulnerable side, which became apparent early as she sang competitively.
She did not especially like talent shows,” she says. “She liked the idea that ‘Ooh, I might win fifty dollars,’ but she wasn’t a big fan because criticism hurt her. She’s never been a person to take criticism, but it’s because she tries so hard to please. She even told me just before she got ready to go into the audition that maybe she might not go.”
Even Carole Underwood felt the pressure of her daughter’s high-profile performances.
“During the show, I learned to fear Tuesdays [performance night] and hate Wednesdays [results night]. All day Tuesday I would be very nervous. I worried, ‘Oh, I hope she sings it well. I hope she hits the high notes. I hope she looks good. What are the judges going to say?’”
About the starlet, Underwood’s sorority little sister Ashlee Smith says, “She is very tenderhearted, so when people would say mean things, it would hurt. When she sounded sad, I would ask why and she would say she had been reading the forums. I told her she just had to stop.”
Smith says she was outraged when a tabloid ran a story about Underwood’s breakup with her Northeastern boyfriend.
“Some people in the media hounded her former boyfriend,” she says. “They turned the words around to make them hurtful. One lady from some magazine that gives the dirt on celebrities called me constantly. I finally told her, ‘Look, there’s nothing bad about Carrie you’re going to get me to say.’ Carrie definitely realizes you have to pay a price for fame.”
What worries Underwood is that her family and friends have to pay the price, too.
“We’re just normal people,” she says. “I started wising up, and I did quit reading stuff. I told myself, ‘I signed up for this.’ I put myself out there, so I guess I have to expect people to be highly flattering but also horribly rude. They said mean things about my sisters. I thought, ‘They didn’t sign up for this.’ There’s also a lot more for my mom to worry about now. I worry when people drive by my parents’ house. That freaks me out a bit. Dealing with all the changes can be hard. Everything changed so suddenly.”

GRRL-ANIMAL
Carrie Underwood’s Four-Legged Friends
Underwood is so sweet-natured that next to her singing, she is best known by friends and family for her abiding love of all creatures great and small.
She has recorded a public service announcement for the Humane Society of the United States and donated proceeds for animal rescue to the organization from her merchandise sales at the final concert of the American Idol tour, a benefit for Hurricane Katrina relief.
“Carrie made a significant personal donation, though we don’t comment on specific amounts of private donations,” says Kathy Bauch, senior director of corporate relations and promotions for the Humane Society of the United States. “Carrie is using her celebrity and her connection with millions of people to bring attention to animal issues. Her love of animals certainly makes her our American Idol.”
Although her family raises Limousin cattle, Underwood no longer eats meat. PETA named her – along with Coldplay’s Chris Martin – the 2005 World’s Sexiest Vegetarian. She even wore a ‘V is for Vegetarian’ T-shirt on one episode of American Idol. Carrie’s Sigma Sigma Sigma little sister, Northeastern junior Ashlee Smith, has seen Underwood’s compassion for animals firsthand.
“When we were living on the Tri-Sigma floor in the dorm, she found this stray cat on the side of the road,” Smith says. “We are not supposed to have animals, but she kept it there to raise it. We hid Mason from everyone.”

THE BIG WIN
In two words, host Ryan Seacrest announced the winner of the fourth American Idol competition. Carrie Underwood wondered, “Did he just call my name?” He did, and as it all began to sink in, she said, “Thank you. Thank you, America.”

Jeff's Top 5 BEST & WORST country had to offer in '05

Ok, I am listing my personal opinions here, and Im sorry if you disagree with my choices, but here goes:

Worst:

5. Tequila Makes her Clothes Fall Off --- Joe Nichols
4. Honky Tonk Badonkadonk --- Trace Adkins
3. Coming to Your City --- Big and Rich
2. Redneck Yachtclub --- Craig Morgan
1. All Jacked Up --- Gretchen Wilson

Generally i cant stand the beer and party country songs... they give the genre a bad image

Best

5. Miss Me Baby --- Chris Cagle (nice sentimental song)
4. Probably Wouldn't be this Way --- LeAnn Rimes (Ive never really followed LeAnn too much but this is amazingly emotional! I saw her do this live when she came to Michigan with Martina and Carrie)
3. Tonight I Wanna Cry --- Keith Urban (a great emotional weepy song that i really like. A good change from his usual style)
1. Believe --- Brooks and Dunn (wow! the emotion Ronnie Dunn puts in this is amazing! I have this together with Jesus take the Wheel [see below] as joint tops!)
1. Jesus Take the Wheel --- Carrie Underwood (amazing message, beautiful voice. this song has helped me a lot when i was going through rough patches late in the year)

if this looks familiar, i have posted this on pulse music boards as well

20 Questions With Carrie Underwood (CMT.com)

from http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1518424/20051216/underwood__carrie.jhtml?headlines=true

1. What gave you the courage to stick with your country roots? It had to take courage when competing on American Idol.

I was a little worried in the beginning about maybe possibly singing country music to people who might not really understand it. I thought it may be a little detrimental to me, but I knew that that's the kind of record deal I wanted afterwards, whether I won or not. I figured it would be silly to stray because then I'd end up with possibly nothing.

2. I know it is important for you to be in Nashville to further your career. Are you going to live there? I am an Oklahoman, and we are hoping you'll keep your ties here.

My parents do still live in Oklahoma, so if I ever have a couple of days off, I'm definitely going to Oklahoma. It really makes sense for me to have a house here in Nashville just because everything and everybody I work with is here in Nashville. It just makes sense, instead of me living in a hotel, like I'm doing right now, to get a house. Hopefully that will happen very soon. But also Oklahoma is home -- home-home.

3. How much input did you actually have in choosing songs for your new CD?

There were so many wonderful songs from wonderful, wonderful songwriters here in Nashville -- and everywhere else -- that were sending us great songs. It was really just a matter of several of us sitting down and picking ones that would definitely work for me and definitely work for everything. I've never done this before, obviously, so I don't know what the best songs are. It's ultimately my decision about everything, so I definitely had people around helping me figure things out. I could have never done that alone. People would send me songs here and there, and we'd weed them out.

4. What was the first thing that came to your mind when your name was called as the new American Idol?

I honestly don't think I was thinking anything. I think it was all just kind of a shocked, emotional time. I mean, I was just waiting for my name to be called --and it was -- so it was like exciting and shocking and happy all at the same time.

5. You and Bo Bice seemed very close on the show. Have you spoken to him outside the American Idol tour? Is there any thought to doing a duet together?

I have seen him since the tour was over, and he is doing very well. He's definitely got his own stuff going on right now, so if we did do something, it would definitely be later on in the future. We're both kind of trying to work on getting ourselves established first and then possibly branching out into duets and whatnot. I wish him the best, and I know he wishes me the best.

6. Was there ever a time on American Idol where you just didn't want to be in the competition anymore?

There were times when I was really scared, but that was about the only reason. I thought, "I gotta quit" or just thoughts running through my head like, "What if I can't? What if I fail?" But I knew I had to keep going, or I'd regret it forever.

7. Are you considering cutting a full-length version of Heart's "Alone" for an album? Lots of us thought it was your best performance on the show and really propelled you to victory. We also liked your version of Pat Benatar's "Love Is a Battlefield" and Air Supply's "Making Love Out of Nothing at All."

Heart and Pat Benatar, they are definitely such amazing people. I was just trying not to screw the songs up. I really like Air Supply. I think it would be really fun to have a female do some of their songs. I love them to death, and I think that would work. But me trying to do Heart or Pat Benatar as my own, I don't think it would work out so well. It was fun, like kind of pretend or try my best to try to do them, but that's not really so much my style. They are awesome. They're amazing.

8. What are your plans for promoting your new album? When can we expect to see you on a solo tour?

There are a lot of talk shows and things like that. A lot of press that I'm going to be doing. ... As far as the tour goes, you know, we're shooting for next spring, so it depends on who's going to be on tour then and who I can go sing with. So, whoever it is, I'm excited. I would rather tour with somebody because I think I need to work up to [headlining shows]. I don't think I'm there yet, to be able to do my own, personally. I think I would feel much more comfortable if I were a special guest with somebody.

9. Do you have special requests when you go on tour? What are the requirements for your dressing room?

Whenever we were on tour, I didn't even turn in my riders sheet, just because all I pretty much need is water, and I'm good. Maybe if they have fruit or a vegetable tray or whatever, I'm good with that, too. But as far as any requirements, I don't have any.

10. Is there anyone else in your family who's musical? Who taught you guitar?

Nobody else in my family is really musical. My oldest sister has a nice voice, but she is definitely not an entertainer. She does not like to be in front of people, and she gets really nervous. As far as me learning the guitar, I actually learned the piano first, and I think that really helped me out. I could kind of teach myself some stuff on the guitar, and I took lessons my junior year of high school.

11. Do you carry any particular CDs from your music collection around with you when you're traveling away from home? If so, which ones?

I keep my iPod with me -- which has every CD I have, ranging from everything from country to oldies to hard rock to R&B to whatever you can think of. I think I'd go crazy if I didn't have that with me. I love Randy Travis. He's a good calm-me-down guy. Pretty much anything. I just keep it on shuffle. You never know. It's fun that way. It's fun guessing what's gonna be next.

12. Can you read sheet music or do you play by ear or by listening to a song?

I can read sheet music. It takes me a bit longer if I don't hear the song first. It's a kind of a mixture of both. If I hear it, I definitely know when something sounds wrong, but I think it helps me to do both.

13. With all these "pinch me" moments, even before your debut album, are you able to take a break? And what do you do to relax?

I've got to go home a couple of times since May. Breaks are pretty much about doing nothing, and I think that's the most important thing I can do. When I don't have to do anything, I get to do absolutely nothing ... if that makes any sense at all. I like to stay in my pajamas. I don't want to put makeup on. I just want to watch TV. That's all I want to do.

14. What has been the toughest piece of criticism to take from someone who may be interviewing you or from someone you run across in public?

I'd say the worst criticism doesn't happen in interviews because usually people are very nice in the interviews. The worst criticism is things people say on the Internet or on different kind of picky shows, like critiquing what's she wearing or how she looks or how she sounds. Those things are really hard to take because ... I don't feel like I've worked my way up to that yet. A lot of people have more time to get used to that. One day we're normal people, who nobody talks about. And the next day, I'm the American Idol who everybody thinks is short or too blonde or not as good as everybody thinks. That's really hard to take, just people talking. I don't get on fan sites anymore. I used to, especially when we were on the show. We all did. I saw so many people get broken because of it. They'd go out there with a "this is me, this is who I am" attitude. Then they'd start reading what people thought about that -- what people who don't matter thought about that -- and it would break them. Eventually, I kind of trained myself not to look at them anymore. It's just better that way.

15. How can you be associated with PETA since you grew up in rural Oklahoma? They do not like livestock shows, rodeos, hunting and fishing. These are the activities that define us as Oklahomans.

That's a good question. I don't think those things define us as Oklahomans. I think that the way that we are in our personality and in the morals that we have, I think that defines us Oklahomans. Livestock is definitely a big deal in Oklahoma. A lot of my friends were in FFA and stuff like that growing up. ... I just choose not to eat animals. That's it. I'm not really associated with PETA. If they're doing a spay-or-neuter campaign, I'm all for it. I'm not really for so many radical things. I think there's just an easier way. I don't preach to others about it. This is just the way I am. If you were sitting there next to me, eating a steak right now, I wouldn't say anything about it because that's your choice, just like it's my choice not to eat it.

16. When did you become a vegetarian?

I quit eating beef when I was somewhere between 10 and 13 because we do have cows and I did bottle feed them and stuff like that. They were like my pets. I had an incident one day that made me refuse to eat beef ever, ever again. Later on, my neighbor had pigs, and I thought they were cute, and it just kind of went on and on from there. I phased it out over a period of time. My parents were actually banding calves. I don't know if you know what that means. I'm not going to explain it to you. ... Basically, it was to make them grow bigger so people could eat them, and they were so cute, and it just made me sad.

17. You seem so quiet and reserved. Is there a wild side to Carrie Underwood?

I think everybody has got a little wild streak no matter how quiet they are. It's always the quiet ones you gotta worry about, right? I've never, ever, ever done anything remotely, like, bad at all. I've never so much as been pulled over, knock on wood. But everybody's got a little wild streak in them, even if it's small. It's pretty rare for wild Carrie to come out, but if it does, I'm usually with my friends, so you know, I would just get a little rowdy.

18. In fashion, how would you describe your style? Where do you shop?

What style? If I'm forced to look nice, I think I do OK with it. I think I do a pretty decent job, but usually you'll see me walking around in what looks like PJs, like flannel pants and T-shirts. That's what I feel comfortable in. If I am having to dress up, I like to go to places like Bebe. I think their clothes are cute. I love to shop, but usually ... I don't really go for expensive things. I still shop like I did before, so I love Abercrombie and American Eagle and places like that. Just normal people places.

19. You have expressed numerous times your everlasting love for animals. You've also mentioned that you haven't found Mr. Right. If you had to choose between animals and men, what would you choose?

I would choose animals all the way. I know that's the one thing in life I cannot live without. I would be so amazingly unhappy if I didn't have my puppies and my kitties. I haven't found a good man, yet. I've found lots of good animals, so I'd go with animals.

20. What do you think are the most important qualities in any person?
I think honesty is very important in people. Just basically having a good heart -- and you can take that however you want to. I'm not talking like sainthood or anything. I'm just saying being a good person, having good morals and growing up, similar to the way I did -- good family, good values and stuff like that. Good wholesome stuff.

Note: The last question was asked by yours truly :)

My Country Cares For Hurricane Relief Concert @ Auburn Hills review

Some thoughts about the concert overall:
1)is it legal to have 3 awesome voices in the same venue at the same time?
2)I do think that LeAnns arrangement was awesome, and martinas band was better than carries (kinda expected since carries band is less experienced; for those wondering about the backups, their volume was perfect!)
3)Im still scratching my head how the mic and sound system in general survived Carrie’s, LeAnn’s and Martina’s voices. How on earth did they not crack?
4)I was disappointed that the 3 of them did not have a song together.

Since I got the $275 ticket, I was part of the pre-concert party. We (I went with my friend Charlie and his mom) were like queuing outside the VIP lounge waiting to enter then saw a cute little blonde girl walk past the line into the lounge! It was Carrie!!! AHHHH!!! But we had to wait like another 30 minutes before entering the lounge for the pre-show party! I went in and LeAnn was there! She was really sweet I gave her my present ( I got all of em presents) she was like “thank ewe!”, and I gave her my concert tshirt to sign on, and then had a pic taken with her!
OK, now we were like hanging around the lounge, not wanting to eat any of the food… haha, then we saw 2 lines being formed! One for martina and one for carrie. Guess whos line we picked lol! (I love martina a lot but carries number 1 in my heart ;) ). So we queued up the darn queue was soooo long!!! So we waited and waited until it was the turn for the group in front of us to take pics with carrie. The darn security said “that’s all! Carrie has to go NOW!” I was like OMG OMG noooooooo!!! Charlie’s mom managed to “grab” Carrie and I took a pic of them. Then the darn security guy said “OK she really has to go now!” and carrie started walking away. I was like noooooo! So I said her name out (she was like 4 feet away from me) “please Carrie just one more pic for me?” she turned around and walked (ok 4 feet lol) to me and was something like “OK! Gotta be quick!” (cant remember the exact words my mind was in a whirlwind) She was really pretty in her black skull tshirt, jeans and boots and she looked really really fresh! haha so I put my arm round her and she put hers round me! I couldn’t get her autograph though… And in all that madness I forgot to give her my present! So I had to get one of the event staff to pass Carrie and Martina’s presents to them for me. (I got carrie a cute teddy bear with the words “I Love You Carrie” on the thsirt of the bear haha) hope they got their presents!
I was really disappointed at the way the pre-party was run… I mean there was no way to get both martina and carrie cos there were separate lines for the 2 of them… I thought they would all be sitting by tables and everyone would queue up to get all their pics and autographs but it was really disorganized. The lounge was also too small to hold everyone.

Now onto the concert! I got like a seat in the fourth row near the center of the stage (was seated with Charlie and Ashley (NCcarriefan))! Carrie sang 7 songs! She was superb and I was like jumping up and down and screaming throughout her songs, even during HYMLC lol I was the only nut standing up for that song… (for those who were there if you saw a guy in a white tshirt bobbing up and down during HYMLC, that’s most likely me!) She was moving all over the stage and was really really cute! She really is awesome to listen to live omg omg better than her album! (the volume for the backup was also perfect ;) ) She thanked the crowd for supporting the benefit concert, for helping make JTTW the success it is, and wished everyone happy holidays (at different times). The crowd really appreciated her a lot and she got awesome applauses whenever she hit all the glory notes! Awesome awesome!

Carries songs (in order):
Some Hearts
Before He Cheats
Night Before (Life Goes On)
Inside Your Heaven
Jesus Take the Wheel
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Wasted

Next up was LeAnn Rimes! I must admit I haven’t really followed her songs as much as Carrie and Martina, but she too was awesome! She really worked the crowd superbly and I really liked the acoustic arrangement she had (she had 2 guitarist and a guy on a dobro that’s all! Apparently she flew in from Vegas the day before). I really liked the arrangement! She got standing ovations for “Probably Wouldn’t be this way” and “How do I live”.

LeAnns songs (I cant remember all, in no order):
Cant Fight the Moonlight
Probably Wouldn’t be This Way
Commitment
How Do I Live
Me and Bobby McGee
Blue
One Way Ticket
This Love
Nothing About Love Makes Sense

Finally last up was Martina!!! I went crazy as well for her (she is my fav after carrie). She came out rocking with God Fearin women (one slight complaint was that her band was a little loud during her upbeat songs). Wow martina is also truly amazing live! She sang 18 songs ( I may have forgotten some lol). Also in between Martina’s songs, the sponsors presented a family who lost their home due to Katrina with the keys to their new home! And Carrie and LeAnn came up to sign one of the wooden blocks that would go onto the house! Martinas vocal power and range is unbelievable I was just in awe throughout all her performances!!! She got at least 3 standing ovations.

Martinas songs (in no order):
God Fearin Women
Wild Angels
Concrete Angel
Happy Girl
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden
You Ain’t Woman Enough
Heartaches by the Number
Help me Make it through the nite
Broken Wing
My Baby Loves Me
In My Daughters Eyes
This Ones for the Girls
Valentine
ID
Hit Me with Your Best Shot
O Holy Night
Somewhere over the Rainbow
Where would You be

I hardly attend concerts, and after this experience I don’t think I can listen to many other singers after the amazingly high standards these 3 ladies have set. Their voices were so powerful, my ears are still deaf as im typing this out, but im happily deaf lol!

I will put my pics up after my friend is done fixing them!