Carrie Underwood Idolized at Country Music Awards

Brooks & Dunn may have claimed trophies in four categories at Monday night’s Country Music Association Awards, but the ceremony’s most emotional moment came with the unexpected win of 2005 “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood for best female vocalist.With only one album to her credit, Underwood beat out popular veterans Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Martina McBride and Gretchen Wilson. Underwood also won the Horizon Award for best new artist. “Oh my gosh,” Underwood gasped, after running to the stage with her hands cupped over her face. “Two years ago, I was sitting at home watching these very awards, watching all these other people win and have the best night of their lives. and this is the best year of my life. Thank you, fans. Everybody that has anything to do with this past year, thank you so much.”

Later, backstage, she joked: “I would have taken male vocalist if they had given it to me.” Underwood’s comments were among the few unguarded moments in the nationally televised ceremony that all too often was laden with dull speeches that thanked record labels, fans and country radio. Ironically, the night’s poignant moments came when Keith Urban won for best male vocalist and received a standing ovation, despite not being there.

He canceled his CMA appearance last month after checking into a rehabilitation treatment center for alcohol abuse. In a note read by host Ronnie Dunn, Urban thanked fans, the industry and his wife of four months, actress Nicole Kidman: “I’m pained not being here with you all tonight. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I’m looking forward to coming home and seeing you all soon.” “We love you, Keith,” Dunn said, adding, “Good luck, brother.”

The evening’s biggest award went to Kenny Chesney, who was named Entertainer of the Year, an honor that seemed a sure thing based on his rank as one of the year’s top grossing tours. “The relationship I have with the (fans) is unbelievable,” he said, pointing to fans sitting in the back of the theater. “You’ll have given me, my band and my crew a lot of great times this summer.” Brooks & Dunn walked into the night with six nominations and came away winning four, with trophies for duo of the year, and best single, song and video.

The latter three were for “Believe,” a gospel-tinged 2006 song, that never reached any higher than No. 8 on the Billboard Country charts. The night’s other multiple winner was Brad Paisley, who was shut out at last year’s awards. He won for best album (”Time Well Wasted”) and musical event of the year, an award he shared with Dolly Parton for their duet on “When I Get Where I’m Going.” It was her first CMA award since 1996.

In keeping with his well known dry sense of humor, Paisley said: “I’d foremost like to thank the country music fans. I love you, too, and I never dreamed that when we were making this album that we’d sell 25 million copies. I mean, we haven’t yet, but we’re very excited about the possibilities after winning this.” After continuing with a list of other thanks, he concluded by saying: “To my wife Kim, who said I should thank her first.”

As previously announced, the ceremony also included the induction of George Strait and Sonny James into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Both men attended the event, and Strait accepted the honor wearing reading glasses, something he does rarely in public. “Who would have thought it,” Strait told the crowd, getting a cheer. “Don’t think I don?t realize why I’m here.”  2006, The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.).

Biography of Carrie Underwood - Carrie Underwood was born March 10, 1983. Her family already owned the farm in Checotah, Okla., though Underwood was born in the next town over, the one made famous in Merle Haggard’s song, “Okie From Muskogee.” Her father, Stephen, worked at a paper mill, and her mother, Carole, was an elementary school teacher. Underwood is the youngest of three sisters. Shanna is 13 years older and Stephanie is 10 years older.

Underwood was just 4 years old when Shanna moved out on her own but says her siblings have always been there for her. Music didn’t run in the family, but Underwood started singing at church when she was 3. Once she was in school, she sang solo roles in student plays. By the seventh grade, people were taking more notice of her voice as she entered local talent shows. She was told she had a “big voice” for “such a little girl.”

Her taste in music was varied, thanks to her parents (who liked oldies) and sisters (who favored ’80s pop). She started listening to country music in the car. She was involved in her high school music program, but she kept telling people she was going to become a famous singer. Then she enrolled at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Okla., and became more serious about her career choice.

She chose broadcast journalism for her major and produced a student-run television program and wrote for the school paper, The Northeastern. Music wasn’t completely out of the picture. While in college, she had a role in a country music show where she learned about country legends like Patsy Cline and the Carter Family. She was still taking her college classes when friends encouraged her to audition for American Idol.

At first, she resisted. However, she soon realized if she didn?t audition, she would graduate, get a job and may never have a chance to try out for the show again. So one night after wrapping an appearance in the college country music show, she piled into the car with her mom, a friend and her mother and drove all night, arriving in St. Louis at 6 a.m. They had to be at the stadium by 8 a.m. to receive wristbands to be eligible for the auditions.

Then she waited eight hours before singing Martina McBride’s “Phones Are Ringing All Over Town” for American Idol supervising producer James Breen. Underwood didn’t think she sang it well although she was invited to come back the next day and sing for executive producer Nigel Lythgoe. She sang another McBride song for Lythgoe, “Independence Day.” On the next round, Underwood sang Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” for the show’s judges, who sent her to Hollywood on her first-ever airline flight.

As the weeks went by, the other contestants were voted off the show one by one, until the finale on May 25, 2005, when it was Underwood vs. Bo Bice. When Ryan Seacrest announced the winner, Underwood became America’s new idol. She signed to 19 Recordings/Arista Records and released the single “Inside Your Heaven”, which debuted as the best selling song in the nation with sales of 170,000. She broke Billboard chart history as the first country music artist ever to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100. Underwood’s “Inside Your Heaven” also became the first song from a country artist to go to No. 1 on the Hot 100 since Lonestar’s “Amazed” did so in 2000.

However, the single was scarcely played on country radio. Following her win, she performed on the American Idol tour and signed advertising deals for Hershey’s chocolate and Skechers shoes. She released the single “Jesus, Take the Wheel” to country radio later that year; her debut album Some Hearts followed in November, less than six months following her Idol win. Some Hearts proved to be a huge hit, leading to the No. 1 hits “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” “Don’t Forget to Remember Me” and “Before He Cheats.” She toured with Kenny Chesney as well as Brad Paisley in 2006. The preceeding Biography was taken from CMT.com