She has never had any form of professional music training, and yet, has reached superstardom…
According to Forbes, Carrie Underwood is the most successful American Idol alum since the show began in 2002. Born in 1983, Carrie grew up in Checotah, Oklahoma. She developed an interest in music early on in her life and she would perform at any place she was given an opportunity to do so. Carrie has a natural singing gift because she has never had any form of music training.
The successful singer is a recipient of almost every applicable musical award there is in her genre of music and has received some awards even more than once. Carrie is also indicted into four Hall of Fames. Her success in her music did not come by chance; from the outset, Carrie has shown zeal in her endeavors, from schoolwork to sports to extracurricular activities.
Her shot at a music career was not going to be any different. She has produced five successful albums after winning American Idol. Her upbringing definitely played a role in modeling Carrie into who she is and here is a collection of facts that give an idea of the kind of life Carrie had when she was growing up.
18
Carrie Comes From A Humble Background
Carrie Underwood is a farm girl. She grew up in Checotah, Oklahoma. Her parents are Stephen and Carole Underwood. According to thefamouspeople.com, Stephen worked as a sawmill worker while Carole was an elementary school teacher. Her mom used to saw her clothing and to this day, her parents still live in the same home despite their daughter’s success.
17
She Was Brought Up In Church
Carrie’s parents recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They have been good role models to Carrie and her two older sisters. Tasteofcountry.com confirms that they also raised a church-going girl. The American Idol winner started her singing career at her local church by the name First Free Will Baptist Church.
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Carrie Was A Performer From A Very Young Age
Other than at church, Carrie also performed at various other establishments. Liveabout.com says that she has performed at local community events, fairs and at a Robbins Memorial Talent Show. She was also able to juggle her little hobby with schoolwork as her grades remained up throughout.
15
She Made Her Bed Every Day And Still Does
Stephen and Carole raised a well-mannered disciplined girl. They made sure that the girls always made their own beds every morning when they woke up. To this day, tasteofcountry.com reports that Carrie cannot effectively continue with her day if she does not make her bed. Wonder if her son has picked up on this important ritual.
14
She Has Never Snuck Out Of The House
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Before any ideas start coming to mind, Carrie only snuck out of her home to do good. The singer is fond of dogs. She currently has two dogs Ace and Penny. When she was little, she also loved animals. Tasteofcountry.com explains that Carrie would go as far as getting the meat out of their refrigerator to go feed stray dogs.
13
Carrie Grew Up As A Vegetarian And Animal Activist
Carrie clearly loved animals to an extent that she could not fathom the idea of eating any of the farm animals that the family kept. Therefore, she became a vegetarian at 13 years old. She is still enthusiastic about protecting animals and is currently a vegan. Thefamouspeople.com reports that she is an animal rights activist.
12
She Was Athletic
Other than singing, Carrie was also interested in sports. We are not sure how she managed to balance school, music, and sports but she did and did it well. Even more astonishing is that she did not settle for just one sport; she played both basketball and softball. Liveabout.com also reveals that she was a cheerleader.
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Carrie Was A Sorority Girl
Carrie’s extracurricular activities did not end in the field, once she got to University she also joined a sorority which cheatsheet.com confirms. Through the sorority, she got to be a hospice volunteer. Her work was mostly to sit with sick patients and provide them with her company. Among her patients was a couple who she would sit with just to watch soap operas.
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And A Beauty Queen
Cheatsheet.com also discloses that Carrie participated in the 2003 University’s beauty pageant and managed to finish as a runner up. However, Carrie admits that she struggled with her body image when she was growing up. She was always concerned about what people thought. Carrie wishes that she could go back and tell her younger self that other people’s opinions should not have mattered.
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Carrie Spent Her Summers Working
During her summer breaks, Carrie also kept herself busy by working. Liveabout.com states that she has worked at a pizzeria, a zoo, and a veterinary clinic. She also managed to squeeze in time for her real passion, which was singing. Throughout her upbringing, she was always preoccupied with something, even chores on the farm.
8
She Almost Gave Up On Singing
When Carrie was 14 years, she almost got a record deal. Thetalko.com continues to explain that Capitol Records located in Nashville were serious about signing her but when a new management team took over, Carrie’s hopes of becoming a recording artist died down. The singer is grateful that things panned out the way they did.
7
She Graduated High School As A Salutatorian
Carrie was a well-rounded girl as are coming to realize. What is surprising is that the activities she picked up for extra credit never interfered with her schoolwork. She was always at the top of her class which cheatsheet.com can confirm. She graduated from Checotah High School in 2001 as a salutatorian.
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Carrie Still Went Back To Finish School After Winning Idol
After finishing high school, Carrie enrolled at Northeastern State University in Oklahoma for a degree course in Journalism. She had only three credits to attain in order to graduate from University but decided to put her studies on hold to travel to St. Louis to audition for Idol. After winning Idol, thetalko.com explains that she went back to school.
5
She Graduated Magna Cum Laude
Had she not won idol, Carrie tells people. com that she would have probably been a news reporter or anchor. The singer released her first single in 2005, a month after she won Idol. By the end of the same year, she had released her first album. Even with a peaking music career, Wikipedia reports that Carrie still found time to complete her studies and graduated magna cum laude in 2006.
4
Before 2004 Carrie Had Never Been On An Airplane
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The decision to postpone her studies and pursue music was definitely a bold move for Carrie. She had never traveled anywhere by plane before which thetalko.com confirms but she somehow got the courage to go for the audition. Pursuing journalism was more of a rational choice but we are glad that Carrie took a shot at her real passion.
3
She Is A Neat Freak
Thetalko.com says that Carrie does not mind being labeled as a neat freak because truthfully speaking she is one. Apart from ensuring that she makes her bed in the morning, every item in her house is neatly placed including stuff in her refrigerator. Everything in the singer’s fridge is labeled and well arranged.
2
Carrie Loved Horror Movies, And Still Does
Most of Carrie Underwood’s fans would not have guessed that the country music star favorite movies to watch are horrors. Southernliving.com confirms this. The singer’s faves include Sinister, Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street. She also got the inspiration for one of her music videos from a 1983 horror film based on Stephen King’s novel.
1
Carrie Wore Braces
Carrie Underwood has a beautiful healthy smile, healthy in the sense that she has a pearly white well-arranged dental formula. The singer confesses on thetalko.com though, that her teeth were not always the way they look now. Carrie has had to wear braces more than once to get that gorgeous smile seen today.
