CARRIE Underwood has come a long way since making her debut on American Idol. The country music superstar has taken the world by storm with her nine studio albums over the last two decades. Born on March 10, 1983, in Muskogee, Oklahoma , Carrie , 41, was raised on her parent's farm with her two sisters : Shanna and Stephanie.
As a teenager, she sang at local talent shows, events, and churches . When she was 14, she auditioned for Capitol Records, which would give her a contract, but ultimately was let go due to company changes. The singer competed in several beauty pageants at Northeastern State University where she was the runner-up in 2004.
When she was 21 years old, she auditioned in front of judges Simon Cowell , 64, Randy Jackson , 67, and Paula Abdul , 61, for American Idol . During the fourth season, the reality TV show stopped in St. Louis, Missouri to look for America 's next superstar.
As she walked into the audition room, Carrie wore a pink shirt, and jeans, and was dying to go to Hollywood . She sang I Can't Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt and all three judges said yes. By the end of the season, it was between Carrie and Bo Bice.
After a dramatic pause from host Ryan Seacrest , 49, it was revealed that Carrie had won the show. On November 15, 2005, Carrie released her debut album, Some Hearts which featured singles including Before He Cheats and Jesus, Take The Wheel. Some Hearts won several Billboard Music Awards including Album of the Year and Favorite Country .
