Thread: Carrie Underwood: "Reach for the Stars -- and Stick to Your Guns!"

Carrie Underwood: "Reach for the Stars -- and Stick to Your Guns!"

Despite the temptations of life in the celebrity fast lane, the four-time Grammy winner keeps her principles intact, thanks to close family ties and a solid upbringing. (And she hasn’t forgotten her Idol roots, either!)

From her 2005 American Idol win to this year's Grammy triumph, Carrie Underwood has been on a superstar speedway. Her very first CD, Some Hearts, went platinum six times over. Three years later, at the age of 25, she has amassed more than 30 industry awards, including four Grammys, most recently for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her hit "Before He Cheats."

She followed 2006's Grammy-winning trifecta (Best New Artist, Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal) with the October 2007 release of the super-hot CD Carnival Ride -- and now the girl who had never been on a plane before 2004's Idol auditions spends her time jetting around the world performing.

Where Her Story Began
So how did it all happen for a kid from Checotah, Okla., who once thought she'd spend her entire life in that small town? And more to the point, how does she keep the sudden fame, fortune and full-on fantasy existence from going straight to her head?

According to Carrie, it may well come down to the company she keeps. "I've just been really lucky and I've had really, really great people working around me and making everything happen," says the singer.

Despite the fact that Carrie was reared in a family without an ounce of showbiz in its blood (her dad was a paper mill worker and her mom an elementary school teacher), her amazing voice proceeded to wow America and Idol's team of judges -- even surly Simon Cowell. "Simon was pretty good to me," she insists. "He is notorious for speaking his mind. I think that's just what he does, and fortunately for me, he didn't have too many bad things to say!" But even though she might be understating the role that talent and hard work have played in her success, Carrie will concede that it wasn't all about luck.

"It bugs me that because I'm a blonde from Oklahoma who sings country music, people think I'm stupid," she says. "I won't say I'm business savvy, exactly, but I have common sense." A quality that, according to the singer, can mostly be attributed to her conservative but happy upbringing. Maintaining that she "never wanted to be a wild kid," Carrie notes, "I never went to one single solitary party at all in high school. After the prom, we watched movies and made breakfast."

Unlikely to follow the party-plagued path that's led other young stars to ruin (or at least rehab), the singer has said, "I respected my parents and I had great friends. I was lucky. We did a lot of church activities."

Staying Grounded
Carrie now owns an antique-filled home in Nashville, Tenn. (which she currently shares with a college friend), but when she's back in Oklahoma with family, all the "big celebrity" stuff gets checked at the curb. "My mom still makes me clean my room. She's like, ‘I don't care who you are out there, little girl!'?"

Now that she is on the VIP list for every star-studded gathering imaginable, isn't it tempting to be just a little bit bad? "It's the same thing!" Carrie says. "If you want to find trouble, you can find trouble. I do not do drugs, I have never even touched drugs, nor have I seen any in my entire life. I think it's impossible not to change when something this drastic happens in your life, but I don't think my personality has changed. I think I have just adjusted to the fact that things are different now."

Love Songs
Indeed, if there's another star temptation not high on this star's priority list, it appears to be romance. Although Carrie had been linked to Jessica Simpson's current flame, Dallas Cowboys star Tony Romo, 28, their pairing only served to highlight the difficulties of maintaining a relationship when both parties have extremely high-profile careers. "We come from similar backgrounds and stumbled into big fame real fast," she says. "So we understand where each other is coming from. It's just the wrong time for both of us. In a different world we might have dated." And though she did recently date Gossip Girl star Chase Crawford, 22, the two have reportedly split. "I'm not serious with anybody," she insists.

Most of her friends back home are married now. And though Carrie says it will happen for her too, eventually, the steadiest man in her life today is a rat terrier named Ace. In fact, what's probably thrilling the star most at the moment is the news that as of May 10, she will become the newest member of Nashville's Grand Ole Opry: "I felt like I just won something amazing all over again," she enthuses.

When she isn't performing or making appearances, the singer flops in front of the tube like everyone else -- and tunes into American Idol whenever she can. As she takes in all those hopefuls pouring their hearts out, it seems like a lifetime since she was in their shoes. "I stop once in a while and think about the things I have done and places that I have seen, and it definitely feels like none of it has actually happened," says Carrie. "Maybe I just dreamt it all up!"

Finding Fame and Staying Sane
Here's how Carrie handles stardom's prime perils

The Media Microscope: "I'm working on just being happy with myself," she has said. "I try not to pay attention."

Cyber Cynics: Carrie says she tries -- sometimes unsuccessfully -- to avoid reading online message boards. "Those comments can be really hurtful."

Red-Carpet Reviews: Not wanting to fret about weight, the star notes that for every appearance, she has a "skinny dress" and a "fat dress."

Eating on the Run: When Carrie is on the road, she takes along a copy of The Calorie King Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter by Allan Borushek, which lists chain restaurants' menus, along with nutritional info on their offerings.

Finding Fame and Staying Sane
Here's how Carrie handles stardom's prime perils

The Media Microscope: "I'm working on just being happy with myself," she has said. "I try not to pay attention."

Cyber Cynics: Carrie says she tries -- sometimes unsuccessfully -- to avoid reading online message boards. "Those comments can be really hurtful."

Red-Carpet Reviews: Not wanting to fret about weight, the star notes that for every appearance, she has a "skinny dress" and a "fat dress."

Eating on the Run: When Carrie is on the road, she takes along a copy of The Calorie King Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter by Allan Borushek, which lists chain restaurants' menus, along with nutritional info on their offerings.

Carrie Underwood Interview: Carrie Underwood Talks About Her Family and Upbringing- Quick & Simple