Carrie Underwood

**Carrie Marie Underwood** (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of *American Idol* in 2005. Her debut single, "Inside Your Heaven", is the only country song to debut at number one on the US *Billboard* Hot 100. Her debut album, *Some Hearts*, was released in 2005. Bolstered by the huge crossover success of the singles "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and "Before He Cheats", it became the best-selling solo female debut album in country music history, the fastest-selling debut country album in Nielsen SoundScan history and the best-selling country album of the last 16 years. Underwood won three Grammy Awards for the album, including Best New Artist.[1]

Her second album, *Carnival Ride*, followed in 2007. It had one of the biggest-ever opening weeks by a female artist and earned Underwood two Grammy Awards. Her next album, 2009's *Play On*, was a commercial success led by the single "Cowboy Casanova". Underwood's fourth album, *Blown Away* (2012), earned her a Grammy Award and was that year's second best-selling release by a female artist. Her first compilation album (2014) was a chart and sales success and earned her a Grammy Award. Her fifth album, *Storyteller* (2015), made her the only country artist to have all first five studio albums reach either numbers one or two on the *Billboard* 200. With her sixth album, *Cry Pretty* (2018), she became the only woman to hit the top of the *Billboard* 200 chart with four country albums, and had both the biggest week for any album by a woman in 2018 and the best-selling solo female album of the year.[2]

One of the most successful artists in any musical genre, Underwood has sold more than 65 million records worldwide. Recognized by *Billboard* as country music's reigning queen and by *Rolling Stone* as "the female vocalist of her generation of any genre", she was listed by *Time* as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2014. Underwood is the top country artist of all-time on the RIAA's Digital Singles ranking and the highest certified country album artist to debut in the 21st century. She is the only solo country artist in the 2000s to have a number-one hit on the *Billboard* Hot 100, the only country artist to debut at number one on the Hot 100, and the woman with most number-one hits in the history of the *Billboard* Country Airplay chart, with fifteen. *Forbes* has declared her the most successful *American Idol* winner. *Billboard*named *Some Hearts* the number-one country album of the 2000s, and her as the top female artist on their 'Best Country Artists of the 2000s' list. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Grand Ole Opry, Oklahoma Hall of Fame, and Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. She has received numerous awards and accolades, including seven Grammy Awards, 11 *Billboard* Music Awards, 14 ACM Awards, 13 American Music Awards, nine CMA Awards, and a *Guinness World Record*.[*citation needed*]

Underwood appeared on *How I Met Your Mother* in March 2010. She played the role of Tiffany, a medical sales rep that forms a relationship with Ted.[392] This was the second highest rated episode for season five, gaining 10.48 million viewers. Brian Zoromski of IGN gave the episode 8.5 out of 10. He was surprised how well Underwood performed in her first acting role.[393] A few months earlier, she appeared in an episode of the PBS children's television series *Sesame Street*, performing a voice-over as "Carrie Underworm" a worm who sings a song about worm pride before an auto race Sesame Street is holding.[394]

Underwood made her film debut in *Soul Surfer* in April 2011. She played Sarah Hill, the church youth leader who helped Bethany Hamilton overcome the obstacles she faced after the shark attack.[395][396]

Underwood played Maria von Trapp in NBC's *The Sound of Music Live!*.[397] The three-hour telecast aired on December 5, 2013,[398] partnering NBC with the producing team of Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. "To have a star like Carrie Underwood perform Maria in *The Sound of Music*, and in such a very special and unique production, is exciting beyond words," said Ted Chapin, President of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. "Part of the magic of Rodgers and Hammerstein is how their work has adapted itself to so many different incarnations, and I am certain the fresh spirit Underwood brings to her own songs will transition into exciting versions of the classic songs we all know and love."[399]