Bursting onto the music scene in 2004, Carrie Underwood has become one of the most successful and talented country music singers in history. Taking home the fourth American Idol crown catapulted her into the public view and she hasn’t slowed down since. Making history, winning Grammys, and sitting atop the music charts are all things Underwood has accomplished in just her six years of being in the business.

Underwood is now a Nashville girl with a little Hollywood glam but was born and raised in Oklahoma. In 2004, she auditioned for the television phenom season four of American Idol. She sailed through the competition and became a fan favorite early on. Never landing in the bottom three, Underwood won the competition and went on to tour with American Idol and release her first number one song Inside Your Heaven. She released her debut album, Some Hearts, in late 2005 and since it has become certified septuple Platinum and one of the biggest debut country albums ever. Her second single of the album, Jesus Take the Wheel, really put her on the map and the songwriters won a Grammy for Country Song of the Year. But it was her third country single that took the world by storm with Before He Cheats, a catchy and edgy song with a lot of swagger. The song jumped to number one on the country charts and in the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. This fan favorite song earned her the Horizon Award for new country artists and the Female Vocalist award at the 40th Country Music Association Awards show. She went on to win awards at the American Music Awards and then five at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards and nominated for five more from the Academy of Country Music. Dominating three categories at the 2007 CMT Awards, she took home those trophies proving that Before He Cheats is one of the best songs on the music scene and on one of the best albums of the decade. She added a few Grammys to her mantle as well.

Following her smash debut album was Carnival Ride, which was released in October 2007 to rave reviews. It went several times Platinum and has released four number one country singles including All American Girl, Last Name, So Small, and Just a Dream. She earned the Female Vocalist of the Year for the third year in a row at the 2008 CMA Awards. At just 26, Underwood is the youngest member to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. One of her most prestigious awards is winning Entertainer of The Year given by the Academy of Country Music making her only the 7th woman ever to win that award.

Most recently, Underwood has released her third studio album Play On in late 2009 and has already sold more than 1 million copies. A smash single called Cowboy Cassanova has been a favorite among Underwood’s fans and is sure to win many awards during 2010.