Doan NT: Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood (sinh ngày 10 tháng 3 năm 1983 tại Checotaw, Oklahoma, Mỹ) là một nữ ca sĩ nhạc đồng quê và nhạc sĩ người Mỹ. Cô nổi tiếng từ khi đoạt danh hiệu American Idol phần thứ tư vào năm 2005 và đã từng 4 lần đoạt giải Grammy. Album nhạc đồng quê đầu tiên của Carrie Underwood là Some Hearts đã có nhiều bài hát hit lọt vào các bảng xếp hạng của Mỹ và Canada như "Inside Your Heaven", "Jesus,Take the Wheel", "Don't Forget to Remember Me", "Wasted" và một trong những bài hát xếp hạng cao nhất là "Before He Cheats". Một trong những bài hát đã đưa cô vào Top 10 Billboard là "I'll Stand by You". Album Some Hearts của Carrie Underwood đã bán được tới 7 triệu bản và là album của một American Idol bán chạy nhất hiện nay. Album thứ hai của cô Carnival Ride cũng bán được tới 3 triệu bản với những ca khúc nổi bật như "So Small" và "All-American Girl". Trong hai năm qua, cô đã bán được 14 triệu đĩa tất cả và trở thành một trong những ca sĩ trẻ thành công nhất hiện nay. Carrie Underwood, tên thật là Carrie Marie Underwood sinh ngày 10/3/1983 tại Muskogee, Oklahoma và lớn lên trong trang trại của gia đình ở thành phố Checotah, Oklahoma. Cô có hai chị là Shanna Underwood và Stephanie Underwood. Cha cô, Stephen Underwood, làm việc trong một xưởng giấy và mẹ cô là một giáo viên tiểu học. trong những năm tháng tuổi thơ, Carrie đã từng trình diễn ở Robbins Memorial Talent Show, hát tại nhà thờ Free Will Baptist và một số dịp khác ở Checotah, gia nhập câu lạc bộ Lion. Năm 1996, cô đã định ký hợp đồng với Capitol Records, nhưng hợp đồng đã bị hủy bỏ khi công ty này đổi người quản lý mới.Carrie tốt nghiệp trường cấp 3 Checotah năm 2001. Sau trung học, cô đã vào đại học Northeastern State ở Tahlequah, tốt nghiệp năm 2006 với bằng cử nhân và có một bằng trong ngành du lịch. Carrie là một thành phiên của Alpha Iota - một tổ chức tình nguyện. Trong suốt 2 năm, vào mùa hè, cô trình diễn ở Northeastern Downtown Country show tổ chức ở Tahlequa. Cô cũng tham gia một cuộc thi hoa hậu tại trường Đại học và được chọn là á khôi (năm 2004). Hè năm 2004, Carrie thử giọng cho American Idol tại St.Louis. Trong tuần thi Top 11 của cuộc thi, Carrie đã trình diễn một ca khúc thập niên 80 (được coi là hit thời kỳ đó) có tên là "Alone" và giám khảo Simon Cowell đã nhận xét rằng Carrie chắc chắn không những thắng cuộc thi mà còn tuyệt hơn tất cả những người thắng cuộc AI trước đó. Carrie là một trong năm người chiến thắng chưa bao giờ rơi vào Bottom 3 (cùng với Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook). Một trong những nhà sản xuất của AI đã nói sau đó rằng Carrie đã làm chủ cuộc bầu chọn, chiến thắng từng tuần nằm trong tầm tay của cô. Trong suốt cuộc thi, Carrie đã gây dựng được một lượng fan hùng hậu. Cộng đồng fan này gọi mình là "Carrie's Care Bears". 25/5/2005, Carrie đã được trao vương miện chiến thắng của Season 4 AI.

Carrie đã xuất hiện lại một lần nữa ở Season 6 của AI với tư cách khách mời. Cô đã hát "Wasted" (ngày 8/3). Carrie cũng trình diễn ở nhạc hội Idol Gives Back, hát bài mới của mình, "I'll Stand By You" (cover một hit của Pretenders) cùng với Kelly Clarkson, Rascal Flatts và một số người nữa. Carrie cũng hát cùng bài hát này vào đêm chung kết AI ngày 23/5/2007. Carrie đã hát "Praying For Time" của Geogre Michael trong mini-marathon của AI Season 7 Idol Gives Back. Cô cũng trở lại sân khấu AI ngày 21/5/08, trình diễn "Last Name" cho đêm chung kết AI diễn ra ngày đó. Album đầu tay của Carrie, có tên "Some Hearts" đã lên kệ đĩa ngày 15/11/2005, lọt vào Billboard 200 với 315.000 bản bán được. Lượng đĩa bán được rất lớn trong tuần đầu tiên này đã đưa Some Hearts đạt #1 Billboard Top Country Albums chart và đạt debut cao nhất, tính từ năm 1991 tới 2005. Some Hearts đã được trao đĩa bạch kim bởi RIAA, và được SoundScan ghi nhận là album country bán chạy nhất trong lịch sử Single thứ 2 của album, có tên "Jesus, Take the Wheel" ra mắt trên Radio ngày 18/10/2005. Nó đạt lượng Airplay rất cao và đã chạm tới #39 trên Billboard Country chart trong tuần đầu tiên. 6 tuần liên tiếp sau đó, nó đạt #1. Những nhạc sỹ sáng tác ca khúc "Jesus, Take the Wheel" là Gordie Sampson, Brett James, Hillary Lindsey, đã được trao giải Grammy 2006 cho bài hát country của năm. Single thứ ba của Carrie, Some Hearts, chỉ được phát hành ở một số hạng mục nhạc như Pop, Adult Contemporary và Hot Adult Contemporary tháng 10, 2005, đạt #25 trên Hot AC. "Don't Forget to Remember Me", single thứ 4 của Carrie đạt #2 trên Billboard Hot Country Chart, #49 trên Billboard Hot 100. Dù sao, nó cũng đã đạt được #1 trong tuần đầu tiên ra mắt trên Radio & Records Country Single Chart. Cả 2 singles "Jesus, Take the Wheel" và "Don't Forget to Remember Me" đều đã đạt #1 trên Christian Radio Countdowns. "Jesus, Take the Wheel" đã thắng giải Single Country hay nhất năm của lễ trao giải Gospel music Association.. Carrie đã trình diễn "Jesus, take the Wheel" ngày 23/5/2006 và nhận được sự hoan nghênh nhiệt liệt tại lễ trao giải ACM. Cô đã kết thúc lễ trao giải bằng việc nhận được 2 giải thưởng quan trọng: Best New Female Vocalist và Single of the year. Cô cũng được đề cử cho giải Song of the Year và Female Vocalist of the year, nhưng không thắng 2 giải này. Cuối mùa thu đó, Single tiếp theo của Carrie, "Before He Cheats" đã đạt #1 trên billboard's hot Country Songs, đứng ở vị trí này trong 5 tuần liên tiếp. Bài hát đã đạt #8 trên billboard Hot 100. Sau 1 năm ra mắt, single này vẫn còn ở trong Billboard. Để quảng bá cho "Before He Cheats", Carrie đã trình diễn ở lễ trao giải Country Music Association lần thứ 40 ngày 6/11/2006 và thắng cả 2 giải Horizon cho New Country Artists và Female Vocalist.

Ngày 21/11/2006, Carrie đến với lễ trao giải American Music với 2 đề cử và đã ra về với giải Breakthrough Artist. Cô cũng được đề cử Best Female Country Artist nhưng không thắng ở hạng mục này. Cô cũng tới dự lễ trao giải Billboard Music Awards 2006 và ra về với 5 giải thưởng. Cô thắng các giải: Album of the year, Top 200 Female Artist of the Year, Female Country Artist, New Country Artist và Country Album of the Year. Carrie đã được đề cử 5 giải Academy of Country Music ở hạng mục: Best Female Vocalist, Song of the Year, Video of the Year, Album of the year, single Record of the Year. Cô thắng 3 trong số 5 đề cử đó: album of the year, video of the Year và Female Vocalist of the Year. Ngày 24/3/2007, Carrie đã tham gia làm khách mời của Saturday Night Live. Cô đã trình diễn "Before He Cheats và Wasted". Ngày 11/4/2007, Carrie tiếp tục thành công của mình với sự ra mắt single "Wasted". Bài hát này đã đạt #1 trên Hot Country Songs Chart, #37 trên Billboard Hot 100. Video của "Wasted" debut #2 trên GACTV Top 20 Countdown. Tại lễ trao giải CMT Awards 2007 ở Nashvilê, Tennessee ngày 16/4, Carrie được đề cử ba giải thưởng, bao gồm Video Of The Year, Female Video Of The Year và Video Director Of The Year, tất cả cho "Before He Cheats". Carrie đã thắng cả ba giải. Cô cũng đã trình diễn "Before He Cheats" tại lễ trao giải này. Đầu tháng 4, Carrie đã đi một chuyến tới Nam Phi để hoạt động tình nguyện theo chương trình "Idol Gives Back". Một video quay từ chuyến đi của cô đã lên sóng trên AI ngày 25/4. Carrie đã thu một bản acoustic của "I'll Stand By You". Single phục vụ cho hoạt động tình nguyện này đã ra mắt trên iTunes, đạt #2. Carrie cũng xuất hiện trong album mới nhất của Brad Paisley, "5th Gear", hát cùng Brad bài hát "Oh Love". Ngoài những hoạt động này, cô đã trình diễn "Before He Cheats" và "Wasted" tại Lễ hội âm nhạc CMA. Tháng 8/2008, "Jesus, take the Wheel" đã được ghi nhận rằng đã bán được hơn 1 triệu bản nhạc chuông điện thoại và trao giải bạch kim, đưa Carrie trở thành nghệ sỹ country đầu tiên có hai bài hát đạt giải bạch kim về lượng bản chuông điện thoại bán được (cùng với Before He Cheats).

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. Underwood has since set and broken several records throughout her career. Her achievements led her to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2008 and into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2009. She has won a vast array of awards, including seven Grammy Awards, seventeen Billboard Music Awards, eleven Academy of Country Music Awards and eight American Music Awards, along with being nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. 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 went on to become the fastest selling debut country album in Nielsen SoundScan history, the best-selling solo female debut album in country music history and the best-selling country album of the last ten years. Underwood won three Grammy Awards for the album, including Best New Artist. Released in 2007, her second album, Carnival Ride, 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. In 2014, she released her first compilation album. It spawned the crossover single "Something in the Water", which earned Underwood her seventh Grammy Award. With more than 65 million records sold globally, her tour revenues and a net worth estimated by Forbes at over $110 million, Underwood is the biggest American Idol earner of all time. Recognized by Rolling Stone as the female vocalist of her generation in any genre and by Billboard as Country Music's reigning Queen, Underwood is the only solo country artist in the 2000s to have a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and the first and only country artist to ever debut at number one on the Hot 100, as "Inside Your Heaven" topped the chart in 2005. She is also the female country artist with the most No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, from 1991 to present, having 14 number one's and breaking her own Guinness Book record of ten. Some Hearts was named the No. 1 country album of the 2000s by Billboard and she was the top-ranked female artist on Billboard's Best Country Artists of the 2000s list. Time has listed Underwood as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Underwood was born March 10, 1983 in Muskogee, Oklahoma, the daughter of Carole (Shatswell) and Stephen Underwood. She was raised on her parents' farm in the nearby rural town of Checotah. Her father worked in a sawmill, while her mother taught elementary school. She has two older sisters, Shanna and Stephanie. During her childhood, Underwood performed at Robbins Memorial Talent Show, and sang at her local church, First Free Will Baptist Church.[8] She later sang for local events in Checotah, including Old Settler's Day and the Lion's Club.

A local admirer arranged for her to go to Nashville when she was 14 to audition for Capitol Records. In 1996, Capitol Records was preparing a contract for Underwood but cancelled it when company management changed. Underwood said of the event, "I honestly think it's a lot better that nothing came out of it now, because I wouldn't have been ready then. Everything has a way of working out." While at Checotah High School, she was an Honor Society member, a cheerleader, and played basketball and softball. Underwood graduated from Checotah High School in 2001 as salutatorian. She chose not to pursue singing after graduation. She said, "After high school, I pretty much gave up on the dream of singing. I had reached a point in my life where I had to be practical and prepare for my future in the 'real world'". She attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, graduating magna cum laude in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in mass communication and an emphasis in journalism. She spent part of one of her summers as a page for Oklahoma State Representative Bobby Frame. She also waited tables at a pizzeria, worked at a zoo, and at a veterinary clinic. Underwood is an alumna of the Alpha Iota chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. For two years during the summer, she performed in Northeastern State University's Downtown Country show in Tahlequah. She also competed in numerous beauty pageants at the university and was selected as Miss NSU runner-up in 2004. In the summer of 2004, Underwood auditioned for American Idol in St. Louis, Missouri. After she sang "Could've Been" by Tiffany on the top 12 girls night, judge Simon Cowell commented that she would be one of the favorites to win the competition. During the top 11 finalists' performance on the March 22, 2005, Idol episode, Underwood sang a rendition of the number one 1980s rock hit "Alone", made famous by Heart, and Cowell predicted that Underwood would not only win the competition, but she would also outsell all previous Idol winners. One of the show's producers later said she dominated the voting, winning every week handily. She gained a fan base known as "Carrie's Care Bears" during the course of the show. During the final, she sang with Rascal Flatts their song "Bless the Broken Road". On May 25, 2005, Underwood became the season four winner. Her winnings included a recording contract worth at least a million dollars, use of a private jet for a year, and a Ford Mustang convertible.

Underwood's music career began with the release of her first single, "Inside Your Heaven", on June 14, 2005. The song debuted number one on the Billboard Hot 100, with Underwood becoming only the third artist to bow in the top slot since chart policy changed in 1998. She also broke Billboard chart history as the first country music artist ever to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and the song became the first song from a country artist to go to No. 1 on the Hot 100 since country group Lonestar's "Amazed" did so in 2000. "Inside Your Heaven" is the only single by a solo country artist in the 2000 decade to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also debuted at number one on the Billboard Pop 100 and on the Canadian Singles Chart, topping it for seven consecutive weeks, becoming the longest-running single of 2005 in Canada. It sold nearly one million copies and was certified gold by the RIAA and double platinum by the CRIA. Underwood's debut album, Some Hearts, was released on November 15, 2005, entering the Billboard charts with 315,000 copies sold, debuting at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums and at number two on the Billboard 200. The large first week sales of Some Hearts made it the biggest debut of any country artist since the advent of the SoundScan system in 1991. Some Hearts became the best-selling album of 2006 in all genres in the United States. The album was also the best-selling country album of both 2006 and 2007, making Underwood the first female artist in Billboard history to earn back-to-back honors for Top Country Album. Additionally, it was the best-selling female country album of 2005, 2006 and 2007. Some Hearts has since been certified seven times Platinum by the RIAA, and is the fastest-selling debut country album in the history of the SoundScan era, the best-selling solo female debut album in country music history, the best-selling Country album of the last 10 years, and the best-selling album by an American Idol alumni in the U.S. The album's second single, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" was released to radio in October and later peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs, topping it for six consecutive weeks, and at twenty on the Hot 100.The song sold over two million copies and was certified double Platinum by the RIAA. Underwood's third single, "Some Hearts", was also released in October, but just to the pop radios. "Don't Forget to Remember Me", her fourth single, also proved successful, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Later that autumn, Underwood's third country single, "Before He Cheats", hit number one on Billboard's Hot Country Songs, staying there for five consecutive weeks. The song peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, achieving the slowest climb ever to the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, breaking the record that was previously held by Creed from July 2000. In February 2008, when it was certified double Platinum, "Before He Cheats" became the first country song to ever be certified multi-platinum by the RIAA. It has now been certified four times Platinum, selling nearly four million copies, and is the fourth best-selling country digital song of all time. On April 11, 2007, Underwood continued her streak of top Country singles with the release of "Wasted", which peaked at number one on the Hot Country Songs Chart, sold nearly one million copies and was certified Gold by the RIAA. In August 2008, the "Jesus, Take the Wheel" ringtone was reported to have been certified Platinum, making Underwood the first country artist ever to have two songs hit Platinum Mastertone status together with "Before He Cheats", which had been certified earlier in 2007. Underwood started her first headlined tour, Carrie Underwood: Live 2006, with dates across North America.

At the 2005 Billboard Music Awards, her hit song "Inside Your Heaven" won the coveted Top-Selling Hot 100 Song of the Year award and also Top-Selling Country Single of the Year award, and she won Country Single Sales Artist of the Year. At the 2006 Academy of Country Music Awards, she won Top New Female Vocalist and Single of the Year, for "Jesus, Take the Wheel". At the 40th Annual Country Music Association Awards she won both the Horizon Award (now New Artist of the Year) and Female Vocalist of the Year. At the 2006 CMT Awards, Underwood won both the Breakthrough Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year for "Jesus, Take The Wheel". She later won the Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award at the American Music Awards, and was also nominated for Favorite Female Country Artist. She won five awards at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards, including the coveted Album of the Year, Top 200 Female Artist of the Year, Female Country Artist, New Country Artist, and Country Album of the Year. That year, Underwood also won a Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Award for Country Recorded Song of the Year, for "Jesus, Take The Wheel". At the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2007, Underwood won Album of the Year, Video of the Year, and Female Vocalist of the Year.[54] She was nominated for "World's Best Selling New Artist" at the 2006 World Music Awards. At the 2007 CMT Awards in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 16, Underwood's "Before He Cheats" won three awards, including Video of the Year, Female Video of the Year, and Video Director of the Year. Underwood won two awards at the 2007 CMA Awards: Female Vocalist of the Year, for the second consecutive time, and Single Record of the Year, for "Before He Cheats". In 2007, at the 49th Grammy Awards, Some Hearts received four Grammy nominations and Underwood won her first two Grammy Awards: Best New Artist and Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Jesus, Take the Wheel. By winning the Best New Artist Grammy Award, Underwood became only the second country artist to ever win the award in the 56-year history of the Grammy Awards, following LeAnn Rimes (1997). She sang the Eagles song "Life in the Fast Lane" alongside Grammy nominees Rascal Flatts. She also sang the Eagles' "Desperado" to honour Don Henley of The Eagles. She also paid tribute to Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys by performing "New San Antonio Rose". At the 50th Grammy Awards, in 2008, Underwood was nominated for two more Grammys: Best Female Country Vocal Performance, for "Before He Cheats" and Best Country Collaboration with Vocals, for "Oh, Love" a duet with Brad Paisley. She won one Grammy Award that night, for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, and performed the song at the ceremony. In December 2005, Underwood was named Oklahoman of the Year by Oklahoma Today. In December 2006, Underwood joined Tony Bennett, Michael Bublé and Josh Groban to sing "For Once in My Life" on The Oprah Winfrey Show. That same month, she paid tribute to Dolly Parton, by singing "Islands in the Stream" with Kenny Rogers (originally by Parton and Rogers) at the Kennedy Center Honors, which honored Parton that year. Underwood performed with the USO Christmas Tour in Iraq during the 2006 Holiday season. Underwood also performed at the 2007 Idol Gives Back concert, singing "I'll Stand By You", a cover of The Pretenders hit. Her version of the song debuted at number six on Billboard's Hot 100 Songs.[64] In 2007, Forbes reported that Underwood earned over $7 million between June 2006 and June 2007. Also in 2007, Victoria's Secret named Underwood the Sexiest Female Musician.

Underwood's second album, Carnival Ride, was released in October 2007. On Carnival Ride, Underwood was more involved in the songwriting process; she set up a writers' retreat at Nashville's famed Ryman Auditorium to collaborate with such Music Row tunesmiths as Hillary Lindsey, Craig Wiseman, Rivers Rutherford, and Gordie Sampson. Carnival Ride moved over 527,000 copies in its first week, debuting at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums, as well as number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, one of the biggest first-week sales by a female artist. Carnival Ride was certified double platinum in just two months after its release, in December. The album is certified triple Platinum by the RIAA, for sales of over three million. "So Small", the first single from the album, was released in July 2007 and reached number one on Billboard's Hot Country Songs, topping it for three consecutive weeks. "All-American Girl", the second single, also reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs. The next single, "Last Name", reached number one on the Hot Country Song chart as well. This made Underwood the first female artist to have two consecutive albums each release three number ones on this chart since Shania Twain in 1998. "Just a Dream", the album's next single, was released on July 2008 and later peaked at number one on the Hot Country Songs chart, staying there for two consecutive weeks. With that, Underwood became the first solo female artist to pull four number one's from one album since Twain did it with The Woman in Me. The album's fifth single, "I Told You So", a duet with the original singer of the song, Randy Travis, was released in February 2009. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Country charts and number nine on the Hot 100. All singles from Carnival Ride were certified Platinum by the RIAA, for selling more than one million copies each. In January 2008, Underwood embarked on a joint tour with Keith Urban named the Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy Carnival Ride Tour, with dates fixed nationwide that continued through April. She then started her headlined tour, the Carnival Ride Tour, in February 2008, with dates across all North America, and ended it on December 14, 2008, playing to 1.2 million fans throughout the tour and being named the top-selling country female touring artist of 2008.

At the end of 2007, Underwood won five awards at the Billboard Music Awards, including the coveted Billboard 200 Artist of the Year and also Country Artist of the Year. Also in late 2007, she won three American Music Awards: Artist of the Year, Favorite Female Country Artist and Favorite Country Album, for Some Hearts. At the 2008 Academy of Country Music Awards, she won Female Vocalist of the Year, for the 2nd consecutive time. She received two nominations for the 2008 Country Music Association Awards. Underwood and Brad Paisley co-hosted the awards show and she walked away with the Female Vocalist of the Year award for the third consecutive time, but lost the Album of the Year award to George Strait. At the 2008 American Music Awards, Carnival Ride won the Favorite Country Album award, thus making that her 2nd consecutive win in such category. In 2008, Underwood also won her first international award, which was "Female Vocalist of the Year" at the European Country Music Association Awards. For the 44th Academy of Country Music Awards, in 2009, Underwood was nominated for four major awards. Underwood won for Female Vocalist of the Year and Entertainer of The Year, thus making her the first woman to win the award in ten years and the 7th female to take it in the award show's four decade run. Underwood was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2009 CMT Awards for "Just A Dream". In 2009, at the 51st Grammy Awards, she won, for the third year in a row, the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, for "Last Name", and performed the song at the ceremony. At the 52nd Grammy Awards in 2010, Underwood won her fifth Grammy Award: She won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for "I Told You So" with Randy Travis and was also nominated again for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, for "Just A Dream". At the ceremony, she performed with Celine Dion, Usher, Smokey Robinson and Jennifer Hudson during the 3-D Michael Jackson tribute. Grammy Awards producer Ken Ehrlich stated that Michael Jackson greatly admired Underwood, which is why she was hand-picked to perform during his tribute. On May 13, 2008, Underwood was invited by Randy Travis to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry,[88] later that month she was officially inducted by Garth Brooks into the Grand Ole Opry. A few months earlier, she sang Julie Andrews' classic, the title song from The Sound of Music, at the 2007 Movies Rock: A Celebration Of Music In Film. On October 22, 2008, Underwood unveiled her wax figure at Madame Tussauds New York. In 2008, it was reported by Forbes that Underwood earned over $9 million between June 2007 and June 2008, being number 79 on the Top Celebrity 100 list. In 2009, Forbes reported that Underwood was the top earning American Idol alumni from June 2008 to May 17, 2009. She earned more than twice as much as the second-place finisher, with estimated earnings of $14 million during this time period. She appeared on the holiday CD Hear Something Country Christmas 2007 with a rendition of "Do You Hear What I Hear?". The song reached number two on the AC Chart, and remained there for three consecutive weeks. She recorded the song "Ever Ever After" for the soundtrack of the 2007 Walt Disney film Enchanted. Underwood co-wrote a song for Idol alum Kristy Lee Cook's major-label debut album Why Wait. At the 2008 Idol Gives Back, she sang George Michael's classic "Praying For Time" and later recorded it. In November 2008, Underwood recorded a virtual and posthumous duet with Elvis Presley, on his classic "I'll Be Home For Christmas", for his 2008 album Christmas Duets. Elvis' ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, herself asked Underwood to do the duet: "Priscilla wanted me to do 'I'll Be Home For Christmas'", she says. "I couldn't say 'no'." In March 2009, she tracked a cover of Mötley Crüe's ballad "Home Sweet Home" for the American Idol season eight farewell theme. Her version debuted at number 21 on the Hot 100 Songs.

Jesus Take The Wheel

She was driving last Friday on her way to Cincinnati

On a snow white Christmas Eve

Going home to see her Mama and her Daddy with the baby in the backseat

Fifty miles to go and she was running low on faith and gasoline

It'd been a long hard year

She had a lot on her mind and she didn't pay attention

She was going way too fast

Before she knew it she was spinning on a thin black sheet of glass

She saw both their lives flash before her eyes

She didn't even have time to cry

She was so scared

She threw her hands up in the air

Jesus take the wheel

Take it from my hands

Cause I can't do this on my own

I'm letting go

So give me one more chance

Save me from this road I'm on

Jesus take the wheel

It was still getting colder when she made it to the shoulder

And the car came to a stop

She cried when she saw that baby in the backseat sleeping like a rock

And for the first time in a long time

She bowed her head to pray

She said I'm sorry for the way

I've been living my life

I know I've got to change

So from now on tonight

Jesus take the wheel

Take it from my hands

Cause I can't do this on my own

I'm letting go

So give me one more chance

Save me from this road I'm on

Oh, Jesus take the wheel

Oh, I'm letting go

So give me one more chance

Save me from this road I'm on

From this road I'm on

Jesus take the wheel

Oh, take it, take it from me.

Oh, wow, ohhhhh.

Don't Forget To Remember Me

18 years have come and gone

For momma they flew by

But for me they drug on and on

We were loading up that Chevy

Both tryin' not to cry

Momma kept on talking

Putting off good-bye

Then she took my hand and said

'Baby don't forget

Before you hit the highway

You better stop for gas

There's a 50 in the ashtray

In case you run short on cash

Here's a map and here's a Bible

If you ever lose your way

Just one more thing before you leave

Don't forget to remember me'

This downtown apartment sure makes me miss home

And those bills there on the counter

Keep telling me I'm on my own

And just like every Sunday I called momma up last night

And even when it's not, I tell her everything's alright

Before we hung up I said

'Hey momma, don't forget to tell my baby sister I'll see her in the fall

And tell Memaw that I miss her

Yeah, I should give her a call

And make sure you tell Daddy that I'm still his little girl

Yeah, I still feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be

Don't forget to remember me'

Tonight I find myself kneeling by the bed to pray

I haven't done this in a while

So I don't know what to say but

'Lord I feel so small sometimes in this big ol' place

Yeah, I know there are more important things,

But don't forget to remember me

But don't forget to remember me'

Before he cheat

Right now, he's probably slow dancing

With a bleached-blond tramp

And she's probably getting frisky

Right now, he's probably buying

Her some fruity little drink

'Cause she can't shoot whiskey

Right now, he's probably up behind her

With a pool-stick

Showing her how to shoot a combo

And he don't know

I dug my key into the side

Of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive

Carved my name into his leather seats

I took a Louisville slugger to both head lights

I slashed a hole in all four tires

Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats

Right now, she's probably up singing some

White-trash version of Shania karaoke

Right now, she's probably saying "I'm drunk"

And he's a-thinking that he's gonna get lucky

Right now, he's probably

Dabbing on three dollars

Worth of that bathroom Polo

Oh, and he don't know

That I dug my key into the side

Of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive

Carved my name into his leather seats

I took a Louisville slugger to both head lights

I slashed a hole in all four tires

Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats

I might have saved a little trouble for the next girl

'Cause the next time that he cheats

Oh, you know it won't be on me!

No, not on me

'Cause I dug my key into the side

Of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive

Carved my name into his leather seats

I took a Louisville slugger to both head lights

I slashed a hole in all four tires

Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats

Oh, maybe next time he'll think before he cheats

Oh, before he cheats

Alone

You don't know how long I have wanted

To touch your lips and hold you tight

Alone

You don't know how long I have waited

And I was gonna tell you tonight

But the secret is still my own

And my love for you is still unknown

Alone

Til now, I always got by on my own

I never really cared until I met you

And now it chills me to the bone

How do I get you alone

Til now, I always got by on my own

I never really cared until I met you

How do I get you (alone)

How do I get you

How do I get you alone

How great Thou art

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,

Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed.