Multi-platinum country music vocalist Carrie Underwood kicks off new tour in Manchest

[Ty]

Before she was making the headlines, Carrie Underwood was writing them.

The reigning queen of country music once dreamed of a career as a journalist, but things changed in college when she decided to audition for a show called “American Idol,” and her life hasn't been the same since.

Underwood won the popular singing show's fourth season and now, instead of writing stories, she's writing multi-platinum albums. On Friday, Sept. 14, she will be at the Verizon Wireless Arena in downtown Manchester to kick off her tour to promote her latest compilation, “Blown Away.”

“I'm not a word nerd or anything, I just like to write,” Underwood said. “It's all words, it's all creative.”

After a three-year hiatus, Underwood released “Blown Away” this past May. The album already has been certified platinum and produced two hits, “Good Girl” and “Blown Away.”

Underwood said she and her band are trying new things this time around and dealing with a lot of advanced technology.

They have been practicing for nearly two weeks to perfect their performance and Friday's show will be the first for this production in front of a live audience.

“I hope everything goes according to schedule. I hope everything goes smoothly,” Underwood said. “If we can get the first one right the rest will be gravy.”

One use of the new technology the country queen is excited about comes near the end of the show. She didn't want to give away the surprise, but said it has to do with the album's underlying them of weather and will make THE BIG TIME: Carrie Underwood has gone from “American Idol” to top of the country music charts, along the way earning a host of accolades, including Grammy, American Country and Country Music Association awards.

Underwood said she took a different approach when recording “Blown Away,” which is said to feature a darker storyline than previous projects. Instead of laboring over details, she went into the studio and let the creative process take hold.

“With this album I wanted to go in and say, 'What would I do if I had no hopes' or expectations, Underwood said. “Let the album make itself.”

Judging from the success of the album in just five months, things went pretty well with the experimental process, one she plans to try again.

“It's something I want to continue,” Underwood said. “It was more fun that way.”

One piece of modern technology essential to the tour was NHL Center Ice, a cable television package that provides coverage of NHL teams outside the coverage area, so Underwood can watch her husband's hockey games while she's on the road. Underwood recently married Mike Fisher, who is a forward for the Nashville Predators.

“They knew (Center Ice) was a must,” Underwood said.

Underwood won “American Idol” in the spring of 2005, but went back to school and in 2006 graduated from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma with a degree in mass communication with an emphasis on journalism.

Forbes reported the 29-year-old Oklahoma native made more than $20 million between May 2010 and May 2011.

With “Blown Away” recently going platinum, she now has four platinum albums to her credit, something no other “American Idol” graduate has done.

The list of accolades Underwood has won is long and includes five Grammy Awards, five Country Music Association Awards, six American Music Awards, nine American Country Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards and one Golden Globe nomination.

She is a three-rime Country Music Association female vocalist of the year and has been named entertainer of the year twice by the Academy of Country Music.

Tickets for the show range in price from $46 to $66 and can be purchased at the Verizon Wireless Arena box office, online at ticketmaster.com, by calling (800) 745-3000 or at any Ticketmaster location.

http://www.unionleader.com/article/2...newhampshire01

[robinannhunt]

A nice article.

[supercarriefan]

Great article. Makes me even more excited.

[JB172]

Hopefully Carrie will actually get to use the Center Ice package.

[robinannhunt]

Hopefully Carrie will actually get to use the Center Ice package.

with TIVO..

[JB172]

with TIVO..

If the league and the NHLPA don't get a CBA done there isn't going to be any hockey to TIVO.

[Ann055]

Thanks for posting Ty! Great article and I can't wait to find out what Carrie has in store for us!

[kewlie78189]

so excited for the tour!