1983-present
Carrie Underwood News: Singer Joins American Idol as Judge
Country music star Carrie Underwood is returning to the show that kickstarted her illustrious career. Underwood, 41, will join American Idol as a judge for its next season in 2025.
The show and network ABC announced the addition of Underwood in a joint social media post on Thursday, and the news was also revealed on Good Morning America. The singer will take the place of Katy Perry, who served as a judge on the competition show for seven seasons before announcing her exit in February. Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie will return to the panel.
Underwood was a contestant on the show’s fourth season, which aired in 2005, and ultimately won—starting off her Grammy-winning singing career. “I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching the show,” Underwood said in the announcement video. “I’m proud of everything that I was able to accomplish on the show, and I’m so proud of everything that I’ve accomplished since.”
The Oklahoma native will be starting her new role very soon, as auditions for the new season of American Idol begin later this month on August 12.
Who Is Carrie Underwood?
Singer Carrie Underwood enjoyed her first taste of stardom by winning Season 4 of American Idol. She followed with the multi-platinum debut album Some Hearts (2005), and has gone on to win numerous Grammy, Country Music Association (CMA) and Academy of Country Music (ACM) awards. Underwood was also inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2008 and annually co-hosted the CMAs with Brad Paisley from that year through 2019.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Carrie Marie Underwood
BORN: March 10, 1983
BIRTHPLACE: Muskogee, Oklahoma
SPOUSE: Mike Fisher (m. 2010)
CHILDREN: Isaiah, Jacob
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Pisces
Early Life and Family
Carrie Marie Underwood was born on March 10, 1983, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and raised on a farm. She is the youngest of three siblings, including older sisters Shanna and Stephanie.
Underwood’s father, Stephen, is a former paper mill operator, while her mother, Carole, worked as an elementary school teacher for 25 years. They encouraged young Carrie to pursue her interest in the arts, with Carole sewing her outfits for talent shows. “I had a very happy childhood full of the wonderful simple things that children love to do,” Underwood has stated on her website. “Growing up in the country, I enjoyed things like playing on dirt roads, climbing trees, catching little woodland creatures and, of course, singing.”
The aspiring performer was also a good student, graduating as salutatorian of her 2001 class at Checotah High School. Underwood then attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. There, she studied broadcast journalism and eventually received a degree in mass communications in 2006.
The reason for the delay was because, in the meantime, Underwood had become a household name thanks to her participation on one of reality TV’s biggest shows.
American Idol Winner
During her senior year of college in 2004, Underwood decided to try out for the fourth season of the Fox reality singing competition American Idol.
According to People, Underwood was nervous to fly to St. Louis for her audition and nearly didn’t go, but ultimately made the trip with some extra encouragement from her parents. She not only passed that audition, but advanced to the show’s live performance episodes.
Underwood quickly became a favorite in the competition performing country music. But it was her rendition of the Heart song “Alone” during the Top 11 round that prompted often surly judge Simon Cowell to predict that she would both win the show and outsell the three previous champions, including Kelly Clarkson.
Cowell’s intuition proved correct on May 24, 2005, when Underwood was voted the winner over finalist Bo Bice. Now with a guaranteed recording contract, Underwood was set to take her growing fandom to an even higher level.
Music Career: Songs and Grammys
Underwood’s debut album, Some Hearts (2005), quickly went multi-platinum, making it the fastest-selling female country album since the introduction of the Nielsen SoundScan in 1991. Her first single, “Inside Your Heaven,” hit the top of the Billboard pop charts.
Her follow-up single, “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” then shot to the top of the country charts. The song proved to be a critical success as well, winning Underwood the ACM and CMA awards for Single of the Year, along with Grammys for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best New Artist.
In contrast to her softer-sounding material, Underwood also had great success with “Before He Cheats,” a tale about a straying ex-boyfriend. The single won her a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and a CMA Award for Single of the Year in 2007. That same year, Underwood released her follow-up album, Carnival Ride. It reached the top of the album charts and scored several No. 1 country hits, including the singles “Last Name” and “All-American Girl.”
Grand Ole Opry Induction
On May 10, 2008, at the age of 26, Underwood was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry by country star Garth Brooks, making her the youngest member welcomed to the famed institution. That mark would stand until the 2019 induction of 25-year-old Kelsea Ballerini, with Underwood handling the ceremony.
Later that year, in September 2008, Underwood won the CMA Award for Female Vocalist of the Year—for the third consecutive time—for Carnival Ride. She was nominated for Album of the Year, but lost the award to George Strait. Underwood also hosted the CMA Awards with fellow country star Brad Paisley, kicking off what would become an annual tradition.
Soon after in February 2009, Underwood won a Grammy Award (Best Female Country Vocal Performance) for her song “Last Name”—her fourth Grammy in three years. In November 2009, she received two more CMA nominations, for Female Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year.
A few weeks before the CMAs, Underwood had released her third studio album, Play On, which produced three chart-topping tracks: “Cowboy Casanova,” “Temporary Home” and “Undo It.” The singer followed that success with Blown Away, released in May 2012, which had sold more than 1.4 million copies by the following year. The album’s hits included “Blown Away,” “Good Girl” and “Two Black Cadillacs.”
Sunday Night Football Theme Song
In May 2013, it was announced that Underwood would be taking the reins from fellow country star Faith Hill to perform the weekly Sunday Night Football theme song, “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night,” which kicks off the broadcast for the weekly NFL game on NBC. Originally performed by Pink in 2006, the track is an altered version of the Joan Jett & the Blackhearts song “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” with lyrics themed to football.
Underwood debuted two of her own variations of the theme, “Oh, Sunday Night” in 2016 and “Game On” in 2018. However, many fans reacted negatively to the latter, and the singer and NBC have used the original track ever since.
The song’s popularity has transcended football, with TV shows such as Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, and South Park either referencing or creating a parody of the track.
In 2019, Underwood and legendary rocker Jett collaborated on the song in celebration of the NFL's 100th anniversary. “I grew up watching football. To kind of have a small part in this amazing game, Sunday Night Football, is an honor, and it is fun,” Underwood said that same year.
Greatest Hits Album
She then continued her work on television as Maria, alongside True Blood star Stephen Moyer, in the retelling of The Sound of Music. The TV event, which was broadcast live, more closely followed the original 1959 musical than the 1965 film starring Julie Andrews, and went on to receive four Emmy nominations.
To celebrate her remarkable career, Underwood released Greatest Hits: Decade #1 in the fall of 2014. The album also featured some new material, including the hit “Something in the Water,” which later earned a Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance. In autumn 2015 she dropped her fifth studio album, Storyteller, featuring the Top 5 country single “Smoke Break.” Underwood kicked off the tour for Storyteller in February 2016.
In May 2017, it was announced that Underwood would be inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. “I’ve always been proud to say I’m from Oklahoma,” the singer responded. “The people, culture and environment molded me into the person I am today.” The official ceremony was set for November, shortly after Underwood's return to the stage to co-host the CMA Awards, alongside Brad Paisley, for the 10th consecutive year.
In 2021, Underwood released her first gospel album My Savior, which won best gospel album at the Grammys in 2022.
In June 2023, the singer launched Carrie’s Country, a SiriusXM satellite radio channel playing music by Underwood's friends and influences and sharing behind-the-scenes stories from her life and career. She has since added workout and faith-based music channels on the network.
Accident and Reappearance
On November 10, 2017, two days after the CMAs, Underwood suffered a scare when she fell outside her home. According to her publicist, the singer was treated at a nearby hospital for injuries that included a broken wrist, cuts and abrasions, though she felt improved enough to tweet an update on November 12: “Thanks so much for all the well wishes everybody,” she wrote. “I’ll be alright.. might just take some time.. glad I’ve got the best hubby in the world to take care of me.”
However, in a post to her fan club members at the turn of the new year, Underwood revealed that the injury was more serious than initially described, as the “cuts and abrasions” required 40 to 50 stitches to her face. “I am determined to make 2018 amazing and I want to share things with you along the way,” she wrote. “And when I am ready to get in front of a camera, I want you all to understand why I might look a bit different.”
The first post-accident photo of Underwood surfaced in December 2017 from former Below Deck castmate Adrienne Gang, who posted a shot of the two posing at the gym. Underwood finally released a new photo on her own accord in April 2018, an uncaptioned black-and-white image of the singer seemingly focused on work in a recording studio.
On April 15, Underwood made her eagerly anticipated return to the stage at the ACM Awards. Her face showing little signs of the traumatic incident, she delivered a powerful performance of her new song, “Cry Pretty,” drawing an extended standing ovation from the audience. Still visibly emotional, Underwood was back in the spotlight moments later, joining Keith Urban to accept the Vocal Event of the Year Award for their song, “The Fighter.”
Husband and Children
In 2008, Underwood connected with professional hockey player Mike Fisher during a backstage meet-and-greet at one of her concerts. After dating long-distance for much of that year, the couple became engaged in 2019 and married on July 10, 2010.
In September 2014, the pair announced they were expecting their first child together. Their son, Isaiah Michael Fisher, was born on February 27, 2015. Underwood announced his arrival via Twitter.
On August 8, 2018, Underwood confirmed she was expecting her second child with Fisher. “Mike, Isaiah and I are absolutely over the moon and excited to be adding another fish to our pond,” the singer said. Their son Jacob Bryan was born on January 21, 2019.
“I admire Carrie as a mom most,” Fisher told People in 2019. “She is so good with our boys and loves us all so well.”
Net Worth
Celebrity Net Worth estimates Underwood’s total fortune to be around $140 million as of April 2024. In addition to earnings from her music, Underwood has also benefitted from partnerships with brands such as Target, Sketchers, The Hershey Company, and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Quotes
- I had a very happy childhood full of the wonderful simple things that children love to do. Growing up in the country, I enjoyed things like playing on dirt roads, climbing trees, catching little woodland creatures and, of course, singing.
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