6/12/2008
Down-home girl: Singer Carrie Underwood brings heartfelt songs to Sovereign Center tonight
By Tracy Rasmussen
Reading Eagle Correspondent
One of country music's top sweethearts might not know her last name, but the rest of the country does.
Carrie Underwood, who shot to stardom via "American Idol," is burning up the charts with the single "Last Name," and will be at the Sovereign Center tonight.
Underwood really was an overnight success, never having been on a plane before she won a spot in "American Idol."
During that show, hypercritical judge Simon Cowell said that not only would she win the competition (she did), but also that she'd outsell any other Idol winner in album sales, which she also did with the more than 6 million copies of her debut album "Some Hearts" sold.
"Carnival Ride," the sophomore effort that was released in late October 2007, has already been certified double platinum and earned Underwood the respect of both her fans and her peers.
For "Some Hearts," Underwood said she chose songs that she liked and that reminded her of the Oklahoma farm where she grew up. "Carnival Ride" features songs that have a deeper meaning for her, and that she helped create.
In fact, the first two singles from that album, "So Small" and "All American Girl" were co-written by Underwood and each spent a couple of weeks or more in the No. 1 slot of the country charts.
"It's a collection of songs I would want to hear on the radio," Underwood has said of "Carnival Ride." "Songs I want to sing. I really hope my fans will get a little bit more of me out of these songs."
Certainly the songs where she has a writing credit showcase not only her talent, but also her heart. In addition to "All American Girl" and "So Small," Underwood also helped write "Crazy Dreams," which she admits is very autobiographical, and "Last Name" which isn't autobiographical, but shows her fun side.
Underwood said she had a huge number of songs from which to choose to make the album, and even some wonderful songs that didn't make the cut.
"We set the bar really high," she said. "Songs that would be hits hands-down might not have made it onto the album because one was a teeny notch better."
Underwood isn't just a fan favorite, either. She won two Grammys in 2007 for "Jesus Take the Wheel," and another one in 2008 for "Before He Cheats," and she was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry last month. In her genre she's won awards as Female Vocalist of the Year for both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, as well as Video of the Year, Favorite Album and Single of the Year.
She was also named World's Sexiest Vegetarian in the annual poll conducted by PETA for a couple of years, and sexiest female musician on Victoria's Secret's "What Is Sexy" list.
In the few short years she's been performing she's managed to bring the spotlight back to women in country music, too.
In fact, "Before He Cheats" was the first country video added to rotation on VH1 since 2004 and was the first country video added to rotation at MTV since 1999.
In the last three years since she won "American Idol," Underwood has maintained her homespun attitude while traveling to the heights of her field. She credits her upbringing with giving her the roots to ground her while her career takes off into the stratosphere. She got her singing start in church, then school musicals and finally "American Idol."
"I had a very happy childhood full of wonderful simple things that children love to do," she said. "Growing up in the country I enjoyed things like playing on dirt roads, climbing trees, catching little woodland creatures and of course, singing."
E-mail correspondent Tracy Rasmussen at
entertainment@readingeagle.com.
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