Carrie Underwood

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Underwood

Carrie Underwood
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Carrie UnderwoodCarrie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is the winner of the fourth season of American Idol. This win is controversial and many say that Bo Bice should have won. A farm girl from Checotah, Oklahoma, she is a senior in college at the Northeastern State University. Underwood's influences range from pop to country. On the April 20 elimination show, Underwood demonstrated her ability to play the guitar.

On the March 22 show, after a performance of Heart's "Alone", Simon Cowell predicted that she would "win the competition and sell more records than any other previous Idol." He went onto say on the March 30 show that she has the "it" factor that will make her a star.

She joins Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken as the only contestants who have never been in the bottom three.

On May 25, 2005, she became the 4th winner of American Idol.

List of Carrie Underwood's performances on American Idol

Auditions and Pre-Perfomance Rounds
St. Louis Auditions - "I Can't Make You Love Me" (Original Artist: Bonnie Raitt)
Hollywood 1 - "Independence Day" (O.A.: Martina McBride)
Hollywood 2 - "Young Hearts (Run Free)" (O.A.: Candi Staton)
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Live Performances
Semi-Final Performance 1 (Women Top 12) - "Could've Been" (O.A.: Tiffany)
Semi-Final Performance 2 (Women Top 10) - "Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart" (O.A.: Janis Joplin)
Semi-Final Performance 3 (Women Top 8) - "Because You Love Me" (O.A.: Jo Dee Messina)
Finals Top 12 Performance (Songs of the 60's) - "When Will I Be Loved" (O.A.: The Everly Brothers)
Finals Top 11 Performance (Billboard #1's) - "Alone" (O.A.: Heart)
Finals Top 10 Performance (Songs of the 90's) - "Independence Day" (O.A.: Martina McBride)
Finals Top 9 Performance (Broadway Musicals) - "Hello Young Lovers" (O.A.: Johnny Mathis)
Finals Top 8 Performance (Songs from Contestants' Birthyear) - "Love is a Battlefield" (O.A.: Pat Benatar)
Finals Top 7 Performance (70's Dance Music) - "MacArthur Park" (O.A.: Donna Summer)
Finals Top 6 Performance (Songs of the 21st Century) - "When God Fearin' Women Get The Blues" (O.A.: Martina McBride)
Finals Top 5 Performance 1 (Leiber and Stoller Songs) - "Trouble" (O.A.: Elvis Presley)
Finals Top 5 Performance 2 (Billboard top 40) - "God Bless The Broken Road" (O.A.: Rascal Flatts)
Finals Top 4 Performance 1 (Nashville Songs) - "Sin Wagon" (O.A.: The Dixie Chicks)
Finals Top 4 Performance 2 (Gamble and Huff Songs) - "If You Don't Know Me By Now" (O.A.: Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes)
Finals Top 3 Performance 1 (Clive Davis' choice) - "Crying" (O.A.: Roy Orbison)
Finals Top 3 Performance 2 (Performer's choice) - "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" (O.A.: Air Supply)
Finals Top 3 Performance 3 (Judges' choice) - "Man, I Feel Like a Woman" (O.A.: Shania Twain

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Originally Posted by cabernetCally

Great Vanillalatte..I sent my data....looking forward to results!

Kariann....I for one could have cared whether Carrie and experience or not!
That had absolutley NOTHING to do with why I was a devoted fan!!!!!
I love her voice, her charm, beauty and I was impressed by her (believe it or not) college education). She is the FULL package imo.

To suggest by some that we were deceived by her past experience is ridiculous!!!

I'm also getting weary at all the negative comments about her....except it she got the votes and she is the American Idol!!

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Bravo Cally, I'm more than a little tired of the conspiracy theories & negativity, but I feel it will eventually work it's way out of their system & we can just enjoy hearing Carrie sing. She has an incredibly bright future. Here is an interesting article about Carries fashion sense, or as some said lack thereof.
I find it interesting that they mention she would have to buy magazines at the local supermarket. This is small town rural America at it's best.

http://toronto.fashion-monitor.com/n...rrie_underwood

Carrie Underwood: 100% American Beauty

American Idol Carrie Underwood represents classic American beauty. Looks count big time, especially at nationwide talent searches.

“What makes American Idol much more than a talent show is seeing a Kelly Clarkson go from frumpy to this suave performer,” says Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University.

To help the American Idol wannabes release their fashion potential, “American Idol" employs a team of styling gurus – wardrobe consultants, hair stylists and makeup artists - to work with the finalists.

“No matter how much you agree or disagree with the sentiment, you do judge a book by the cover,” says Miles Siggins, “American Idol" fashion stylist. Siggins says that once the field has been whittled to twelve, he gets about $400 a week to spend outfitting each contestant.

No wonder blonde country girl Carrie Underwood, 21, of Checotah, Oklahoma, looks like the right person to become a new “American Idol". When the votes are counted, many in the know believe Carrie Underwood’s polished girl-next-door image also will have played a role.

“It’s been a big learning curve for Carrie,” Siggins said about Carrie Underwood. “In the beginning, she was very country. She grew up on a farm, and she’s had no exposure to fashion. Where she’s from, the local supermarket doesn’t even sell Elle or Vogue.”

"You obviously need to have a competent voice and then some," says Robert Thompson. "You have to have high ratings in other areas, including the looks."

Friends and family describe Underwood as a polite, quiet, small-town girl who is dedicated to music. Underwood's mother, Carole, said she hoped her daughter's success wouldn't change her.

On the J Records web site the news is....J Records family would like to welcome our newest addition, your American Idol, Carrie Underwood. This is the label that Ruben records for.

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Originally Posted by felix[B

They are a great number of us![/B] We love Carrie as much as Bo fans love Bo. Now...even after winning American Idol, people are still ragging Carrie. Not even showing Carrie the respect she deserves. She was the winner after all, not Bo.

AI4 was not rigged. The producers may have tried to skew audiences to a particular contestant, but the final vote was in your hands. America voted honestly and Carrie won fair and square.

Come on...the producers would hardly dare to deceive the audiences by faking the results. In this information age, it is almost impossible to keep a secret. Their deception would have been revealed and the AI franchise tarnished forever.

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I love Bo, but I'm not sorry he didn't win. I also liked Carrie, and I really think she has the best voice of any idol. I love her rendition of Independence Day on the CD. I do think she deserved to win, and I'm very happy for her.

However, rigging the competition doesn't have to be about faking votes. There are tons of ways they could do it. I think they decided Carrie was it at the beginning and worked to make that happen, in many subtle and not so subtle way. I'm not saying she didn't deserve to win, she absolutely did. I herad the judges comment that Carrie "needed the win" more than Bo.

I just hope they let Carrie do the county stuff she's so good at. I think she's pop enough with her country that she could sell. Based on her cover of Independence, I think she could compete with the best out there and come out a winner.

Good luck to her and Bo!

Obsession. How did it happen?

After the aftermath of Carrie winning the AI title, I decided to take this opportunity to review my thoughts on Carrie Underwood. This beautiful southern girl that had captured my personal attention so vividly. What is it about this girl?

As far as I remembered, I was an individual who is somewhat reserved about almost everything. Groupies disgusted me. Mindless teenage fans especially so. Didn't they have better things to do in their life? It had indeed been a long time since I've been passionate about anything. But what really amazed me was that it was American Idol 4 that brought me to Carrie's attention.

"A reality show." For heavens sake.

I remember it was around 8pm that night. I had just came back home, tired and weary after an long day at the office. My legs really hurt badly. After a fresh shower, I then popped myself near the TV and started watching AI4. I badly needed to relax.

Now the thing is, I've only been interested in the Audition episodes of previous seasons of AI. Seeing an array of people handle the pressure during the tryout process was always...interesting. Fascinating really. Would these people rise to the occasion? Or self distruct in self pity? (Shrug) The cynic in me loved it. I had never a high opinion of previous AI winners (with the possible exception of Kelly). They were poseurs in my eye. Manufactured by the producers solely to capture a vapid public's attention. I seriously doubted Clay and his elk would have a trully long career in the music business. As products of a reality show, they lacked the authencity of real artists sloigging their way through the industry.

But back to my story.

I was sipping some fruit juice, when I saw this dainty little Southern girl meeting Paula, Simon and Randy with an adorable pink dress. She was in her early 20's, good looking with attractive curls in her hair. Her name (as I later found out) was Carrie Underwood.

Something in my head clicked. They was something about...this girl.

Very interesting, I thought. I moved closer to the screen waiting to hear this delicate Southern Belle sing.

"Good. Very good." was Simon's comment. Privately, I agreed. Even to my unpractised ear, I knew Carrie had performed well. She was certainly one of the better applicants, I had seen audition so far.

Carrie Underwood wanted to be a Country singer. Martina McBride particularly was her favourite. Country? I thought. Flashes of Dolly Parton singing Nine To Five came to my mind. And a rolling mechanical bull (Don't ask!)

Working Nine to Five. What a way to make a living. (Sorry, I couldn't resist humming this. Catchy lyrics.)

Martina McBride? Didn't she sing Valentine with Jim Brickman? I loved that song. While I didn't know much about Country music, Carrie's sense of taste was not unpleasant to me. Carrie's innocent, Reese Witherspoon, "Sweet Home Alabama" routine also added to her appeal.

I made a decision now and then. Carrie Underwood would be my "Favourite" for AI4. When she was voted out, so would I also stop watching.

Please note, that my taste in picking AI winners was absymal. My previous favourite. Julia Demato from AI3, was panned heavily, and is presently (I think) singing at supermarket openings.

(Shrug) So it come to no surprise, that I was somewhat reserved in getting emotional with Carrie Underwood. I knew she was special of course, but I wanted to see how Carrie would react to the challenges in future episodes. Would she rise to the occasion?

I was not to be disappointed.

End of Part One (This may take several posts to finish my thoughts. So bear with me please.)

To be continued.

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Originally Posted by felix

Obsession. How did it happen?

..............
To be continued.

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Great start felix.........Anxiously waiting for the rest of your story. :whistle

"Obsession. How did it happen?" Part Two

Looking back, I think the producers of American Idol made the decision to back Carrie right from her very first appearance.

She certainly fit all their requirements. A young, sweet, talented (What a bonus!), beautiful girl with massive appeal.

You know...the "Rags to Riches" story. the "Loss of Innocence" saga. Stewart Little all alone in the big city. Think of the "Superman" mythos.

Picture it. Lonely immigrant (Oklahoma) battles against all odds to achieve stardom. (Rocky Balboa eat your heart out!) Further more, Carrie (as I later discovered) was really a sincere down to earth girl. She loved animals, a vegeterian and was kind to all her friends. Who in the world could vote against that?

Incredible, I thought. Shaking my head.

A lot of you may hate this. But talent and a good voice is NOT enough to achieve success. An artist has to have that...(I don't know) indescribable image allure. He/She has to be remembered (in a good way) by their fans to have consistant staying power. They must have something the voters can appreciate and identify with.

Singers, Actors, Politicians. Hate them or love them. But each successful celebrity has an "image" crafted/assigned to them. Take David Hasselhoff, for example. He's a somewhat successful actor/singer. But is he talented?

Well...in his own limited way, I suppose. I doubt he'll ever be Oscar winning material, but David has a rather considerable fan base (Baywatch, Knight Rider) and is generally more successful than other (more deservedly talented) actors.

Why is that?

Success is the media industry is all about image. (Wait...before you get all heckled up, hear me out.) It's a good thing really. We watch American Idol to be captivated by thrilling personalities and drama. Viewers need to be drawn away from their dreary lives, where they can identify with the contestants.

Would reality have the same effect? I don't know...as a producer i would probably want to spice up the storylines a little. Dramatize a little drama. (Remember that Kimberly Caldwell/ Julia Demato spat last year?) We want the OC, not the Patridge Family.

That's why Anwar and Nadia fell by the wayside. That were good singers. But the public thought of them as merely good singers. They lacked that oh-so heartbreaking story to back them up (Christ, that sounded cynical!) when they crashed. And...thus when they had a bad night, away they went.

Talent? Hey, it helps. But, when you can get a person enamoured of you. It's much better.

"We all want it." (That's a quote from the James Cameron movie "Strange Days" Ralph Finness spoke it)

There! I admit it. I sold out! I bought into the "innocent farm girl" routine.

(Shakes head) Yes, yes..I knew intellectually that Carrie couldn't be as innocent like that. She was a Mass Communication major, after all. Not a inbred hillbilly from Appalachia.

But...I couldn't resist being sucked in. (Shrug) Worse of all, I was smilling as I Borged myself into a Carrie fan. (That's why I am writing this, defending Carrie, night and day.)

I'll admit it. Carrie has her flaws. In fact, all the Idols do. But what really made Carrie a winner, was her sincere screen personae. The effects of bad performances rolled off her like teflon (with a little help from Simon).

Now...I am not trying to be negative of Carrie. I am merely stating a few facts. The fact of the matter was that Carrie was so sincerely likeable that a "silent majority" of the public were her devoted fans.

And Carrie was talented! She had technically the best voice in the contest. Even most of her harshest critics, could not deny her that. But somehow, due to a combination of factors (Bo's incredible performance included), Carrie lost credibility as an American Idol Winner in the eyes of the public.

Allow me to rectify that.

End of part two

To be continued

Oh, by the way. I came upon this article.

http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/apps/...IE%20UNDERWOOD

Carrie seems to be handling stardom fairly well.

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Originally Posted by Kariann1

(Written to Felix)I read your link and this is what really bothered me:


[Quote from MSNBC]
A sweet, wholesome small-town girl with a strong voice, big dreams, and no real performing experience prior to the competition, she truly is what the show is all about.

The “Idol” producers could not have drawn up a better contestant if they’d tried. She was straight out of central casting, and Carrie and the producers milked that image for all it was worth throughout the competition.

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We know now that this is just not true! This bothers me because I bet most of the American public bought into this casting. I resent the manipulation of her IMAGE! Carrie has the looks and talent to succeed. Why did they have to present this to us? Why did they remove her photos from her band website?

I think some may not have understood what I said. I hated the fact that AI created a false image for Carrie and I hate the fact that MSNBC (link provided by Felix) continues to spread this incorrect information of about her! She has had a lot of professional experience!!! Building a false image should not be necessary! :down

This anger does not take away from the fact that Carrie is a very pretty and talented young lady and should do fine as the American Idol.

I realize she had no choice but to go along with this. It is fine if some here don't care that AI was misleading the American public. We knew about Carrie's experience from reading the forums, but most viewers don't go to these forums. :ohno

CabernetCally, I am sorry if you or others were offended by my comments - but this is how I feel! My anger is not towards Carrie.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kariann1

We know now that this is just not true! This bothers me because I bet most of the American public bought into this casting. I resent the manipulation of her IMAGE! Carrie has the looks and talent to succeed. Why did they have to present this to us? Why did they remove her photos from her band website?

I think some may not have understood what I said. I hated the fact that AI created a false image for Carrie and I hate the fact that MSNBC (link provided by Felix) continues to spread this incorrect information of about her! She has had a lot of professional experience!!! Building a false image should not be necessary! :down

This anger does not take away from the fact that Carrie is a very pretty and talented young lady and should do fine as the American Idol.

I realize she had no choice but to go along with this. It is fine if some here don't care that AI was misleading the American public. We knew about Carrie's experience from reading the forums, but most viewers don't go to these forums. :ohno

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I suppose it could be argued that every piece of news (we see or read) is subjective. Please note, that the AI producers did not say out loud that Carrie had no professional singing experience. They merely let the viewers make that assumption.

For me...I was glad that AI spun Carrie in this direction. You may disagree with what I am about to say but...talent and a strong voice is not enough to make someone a success. A strong appealing visual personae is need for the public to identify with.

There are hordes of talented people out there. But none of them reach Hollywood or fame. Why? (Shrug) Dumb luck, most of the time. But mainly because they lacked the screen presence to gain the publics attention. To unlock that always requires some media manipulation.

Anwar and Nadia failed in AI4 because they lacked that visual identity which audiences could identify with. To be a success requires a contestant to be more than a mere singer. You have to be larger than life.